Those Were the Days
by Artsy215
Summary: The sequel to "The Adventures of Emmett and Rosalie." We rejoin Emmett and Rose in 1941 when they return to Hoquiam and see how their lives turned out in more detail over the next couple decades.
1. Chapter 1

Those Were The Days – Prologue

T to be safe

My brain is total much, but Steph owns that just like everything else

**_A/N: This is the sequel to "The Adventures of Emmett and Rosalie" I suggest you read that one first cause in my opinion, its way better than this lol. The opening pgh is the theme from "All in the Family" one of the best tv shows EVER! Part one took place in 1935, but this one starts in 1941._**

--

_"Boy, the way Glen Miller played. Songs that made the Hit Parade. Guys like us, we had it made. Those were the days! Didn't need no welfare state. Everybody pulled his weight Gee, our old LaSalle (a car) ran great. Those were the days! And you knew where you were then! Girls were girls and men were men. Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again. People seemed to be content. Fifty dollars paid the rent. Freaks were in a circus tent. Those were the days! Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win. Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin (five dollar bill). Hair was short and skirts were long. Kate Smith really sold a song. I don't know just what went wrong! Those Were the Days!"_

Nearly five years had passed since Emmett and I had gotten married, well, the first time anyway. In early 1940 after a horrible argument over something absolutely silly, Emmett decided he wanted us to renew our vows. Why stop there? I suggested we run off to Las Vegas and get hitched in one of their little chapels. That's what all the kids our age were doing these days. We took off in the Phaeton at sunset and arrived there by dawn. We hid out in a cute little motel room beside a pool for the day enjoying each other's company before going after sunset to explore the new casinos that had just been built. Beside one of them was a little white chapel, and as soon as I saw it, I knew that was the one.

We sent post cards to Carlisle and Esme and they about had a fit. Esme was sad she couldn't be there and Carlisle said it was meaningless and a waste of money. Only Edward thought it was a good idea. He always supported our marriage, even when we did things that were a little too impulsive.

In spring of 1941, the fear that the US was going to be involved in the Second World War was growing daily. I enjoyed living with Emmett in our house up in Denali, but I was becoming homesick, in a way. I missed Esme and Carlisle, even Edward. They had only come to visit us once in the five years we had lived there. After one of the fastest weeks of my life, they had to return home so Carlisle could go back to work and Edward could resume school. He was studying at the University of Washington to become a doctor like Carlisle. In May of that year, we packed up all of our things and moved back to Hoquiam to live with Esme and Carlisle at their gigantic house.

It felt so nice to have my family around me once again. Emmett noticed the change in my spirits immediately. We weren't fighting as much, hardly at all, in fact, and I had allowed him to drive my car again. I took the keys from him after an argument over the clothes he was packing for the drive down from Alaska. He insisted on wearing a pair of jeans that was caked in mud, while his clean clothes were packed into a box in the moving truck. I told him he would never drive my car dressed that way, and that was that. I drove my car all the way to Hoquiam while he drove the slow, annoying truck. I got home two whole days before him because of it. I hope that taught him a lesson. Shortly after the two of us came back, so did Edward. He had finished his semester and decided to come back home for the summer to see us.

--

You'll have to excuse Rosalie. She tends to fabricate things so they sound better to her own ears. We didn't leave Alaska because she was homesick. We left because the other women in the Denali village were being 'too friendly' with me, as she puts it. I can't help that they like my sense of humor. Tanya and Irina were just being polite neighbors. I don't know what got Rose so worked up about them. Maybe it was because Tanya was blonde? Maybe it was because Irina liked to go hunting with me when Rose couldn't go? Either way, Rose didn't like the girls much.

The week that Edward and our parents had come to visit, Tanya had taken quite a liking to Edward. We all thought that finally, after how many years, he had finally found a girl he could spend some time with, but it didn't work out that way. They had gone hunting a few times and played chess and acted like a real couple. I was happy for him, but Edward decided he would rather go back home and get a college degree than stick around a few more days and get to know Tanya any better. He really is an old fuddy-duddy sometimes.

I suggested to Rose one morning that maybe it was time to go visit our parents back home for a few days. It might cheer her up. She did like the thought, but asked instead if we could move back home permanently. Like most discussions we had around this time, it lead to a huge blow up and me sleeping in the spare room for a few nights before I caved and we decided to pack it in and move back to Hoquiam. In the end, it was a good plan and worked out for the best. Rose was happy, we stopped the shouting matches for the most part, and I was allowed to sleep beside her again. She didn't take the car keys from me either; I gave them up so I could drive the truck without her screaming at me the entire way. I knew wearing dirty jeans would make her so mad, she would let me drive the truck.

After a few days of lounging around the house, Esme and Carlisle sat the both of us down to have a talk. Anytime they had told us there was a 'talk' coming, it was usually bad news. One or both of us was in trouble for something and we were going to hear it.

--

End

Yay for new stuff!! I hope you guys liked this as much as the last one. I know not too much has happened yet, but it will get there! Please review!!


	2. BreakDown

Those Were the Days - Break Down

T to be safe

Stephenie owns everything, including the sun, which is causing this wretched heat wave. Not only is she making me wait til August 2nd, she's gonna cook me in the meantime lol.

--

Carlisle had pulled us into his study a few nights after we moved back home. I still hated the study. This one was much larger than the old one, but much more intense. The desk was larger and made of solid oak. The walls were painted so dark a shade of green they nearly looked brown. He sat in a gigantic leather office chair on his side of the desk eyeballing us with his fingertips pressed together as tightly as his eyebrows. Esme was going to join us, but she had a roast cooking in the kitchen for a church picnic the following day.

"We haven't done anything wrong, have we?" I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed something somewhere. "You wanted us to come back. You said so in your letters, Carlisle."

"That's not it, Rosalie. I'm quite content to have you both back here with us. My concern is about your relationship with the Denali coven, or lack there of. In five years you did not succeed in creating a strong friendship with their people. I do not see how that is possible."

"I did try, Carlisle. We have different interests. Whenever I tried to spend time with the other women socially, there was always a great deal of tension in the air. I also did not like the way they acted around Emmett. I found the women to have rather loose morals on occasion and even looser boundaries."

"Emmett, what do you think about this?" Why was Carlisle asking him? He knew what went on up there as well as I did.

"I also tried to socialize. I went to a few parties; some with Rose, but mostly without her. She was content to stay home, so I went out to have fun. After a while, it caused a lot of strain between us, so to keep things peaceful I declined the party invitations and stayed home with Rose."

"He only stopped going because of me. The women took it personally and in a way, we were blacklisted. They aren't like us, Carlisle. I like romance novels and garden parties and shopping. The Denali women never read; their idea of a party is a raucous bonfire in the woods where they play wild music and dance inappropriately. I invited one woman to church and she laughed in my face. I tried, Carlisle. I really did. I'm sorry things didn't work out." No I wasn't. They wanted Emmett and I wouldn't give him up. I was quite happy being a thousand miles away from them and had no intentions of going back any time soon.

"My concern is that the Denali clan is the only other group of vampires as far as I know that live the way we do. It is important for us to have them as allies while we live so close to them." He slid a letter across the desk for us to read. "Tanya and Irina wrote Esme and I a few letters over the past month. They were sad to see you leave. You didn't say goodbye to them, which left them feeling rather offended."

"I didn't think of it, Carlisle." Emmett nodded. "You're right. It was rude of us. We should have gone to see them before leaving. They did show us hospitality while we were in their village. We should have at least thanked them."

"I sent them a letter the other day. I'm waiting to hear back from them."

"What about?" I asked.

"I invited Irina and Tanya down for a week in early summer. They were good hosts for you both, and we will be good hosts for them." He gave me a stern look that meant it was an order, not a request. "Once I hear from them on an exact date, I will let you know."

"Does Edward know about this? Tanya is still interested in him. The last few times I met with her, she asked me about him. He should know, don't you think?"

"He knows and he will be gracious to her while she visits. Edward is a gentleman. He will be kind to Irina, as well." I slid the letter back to him and he put it away in a drawer. "That was all I wanted to talk about. You kids should go do something outside before it gets dark. Get some air."

Emmett and I stood and thanked him before leaving. I didn't speak again until we were outside. "Let's go see the town, Emmett. I want to see if anything's changed since we've been gone."

--

Rose was silent the entire drive to town. I knew the idea of the other girls coming to visit did not sit well with her. She had no reason to worry. I would never dream of being unfaithful to her in any way, but that was how things went with women. If you put two beautiful women in a room, and one has a husband, it was going to be one messy scene in the end.

Town was exactly the way we had left it, boring and quiet. We parked the car near the bank and strolled up the main street holding hands and looking in the shop windows at all the new spring fashions. We stopped in front of a shoe store and stood staring at the sale items for a long time in silence. "There isn't much I can do, Rose. I know you're mad they're coming to stay. If you want, I can lock myself in our room until they leave." I smirked. Rose let out a giggle and shook her head. I knew she would be all right if I could get her to laugh.

"I just…this is _our_ place. They have no business here. Carlisle wants us to be friendly with them incase something bad happens. I don't know if I trust them well enough to help us if we need it. I'm afraid he's going to put all his faith in their clan, and then when we really do need them, they'll desert us."

"I can see where you would feel that way, but what if we really could rely on them? If we got into trouble and didn't ask for their help because we were being pig-headed, that could be a huge mistake." I didn't want to start a fight over this. We were trying to have a nice day out together and I didn't want to ruin it. I was about to change the subject when the door of the shop flew open and a small child came flying down the sidewalk. He had black hair and a blue denim jumper on over a tiny white t-shirt and no shoes. His little feet smacked against the pavement with every step.

"I got him. Come here little buddy." Rose smiled and scooped up the small boy who couldn't have been older than three or four. "Where are you going? I think your Mommy is going to worry about you." She carried the little boy back toward the door, when it opened again. "Oh, Hi! Is he yours?" She put the little boy down, but held onto his tiny hand.

"Yes. Hello Rosalie, I haven't seen you in years. You must be Emmett. I'm Meadow. Thank you for catching him. He's only three and so much faster than me already." I stood back and watched Rose's face when Meadow pulled her son against her leg. He gripped onto her jeans tightly and hid his face from us. "Say hello, Billy. Oh, he's being shy."

"His name is Billy? That's a nice name. You're so young to have a baby already. Didn't you just graduate about two years ago?" Rose was right in her calculations. Meadow was about fifteen when they met five years ago. If the baby was three now, Meadow must have had him before getting out of high school. I didn't want to say anything. This was more of a women's conversation. I kept my mouth shut and made faces at the baby to get him to laugh.

"That's right. I had him when I was seventeen. Quileute people usually marry when they're sixteen or seventeen. I married David the day I turned seventeen and just after that, Billy came along. We just came to town to get him some new shoes. He's outgrown three pairs so far this year."

"He's so adorable. He looks just like David, but he's got your eyes and pretty hair." Rose waved to the little boy and blew him a kiss. "Hello, David." Rose stepped back beside me when David came out of the shop. He was the same height as me and made his wife look like a dwarf by comparison. The scowl on his face told me he was not so happy to see us.

"Hello. Meadow, we have to leave." Both Rose and I knew what he meant by that. He scooped the little boy into his arms and passed the shopping bag to his wife. As they walked away, I could hear him saying something to Meadow about being more careful who she talks to around their baby.

Rose's good spirits were crushed once again. She buried her face in my chest and sobbed softly. I walked her back to the car and helped her in. The whole way home, she continued to sob into her hands. I wouldn't let her in the house this way. Esme would worry and I didn't want Edward to read her thoughts if he was home. I parked in the garage and closed the door for some privacy.

I pulled her into my arms and pet her hair softly. She was sobbing so loud, I could hardly think. "Talk to me, please? What brought this on? Was it what David said as he walked away? I'm not Edward. I can't read your thoughts."

It took her a moment to calm down enough to speak. She nodded against my chest and gripped my shirt like she was going to rip it clean off my body. I could tell she was upset, but she seemed angry, as well. "He didn't have to say that. We would never hurt anyone. Not a child. We're not monsters."

"I know. He's just lookin out for his family. He didn't mean it to make you feel bad. Don't let him bring you down, Rose." I whispered and rubbed her back. I couldn't understand why his words were getting to her so badly. Normally, she wouldn't care one way or the other.

"It's not just that, Emmett." She sobbed. "He has a family."

"Yes, I saw them. The little boy has good parents. They love him a lot."

"You don't get it!" She pushed away from me and looked out the window. She was really angry now, but I still didn't know why. "Meadow has a baby. David, as awful as he is for what he said, he has a baby too."

"You're mad that they have a family? I don't…do you want a baby? Is that why you're upset?" This was another female mystery I could never understand. We had been together five years and not once did she ever show an ounce of interest in children.

"I…I don't know. I don't know what's come over me. I was thinking this morning that if I was alive, I would be getting close to twenty-seven years old. Would I have kids by now if I had lived through the rape? Would I even be able to? I haven't been around kids hardly at all since I was alive. Would I be any good as a mother, or would I be so horrible nobody would want me near their kids?" She sobbed again and rested her face on my arm.

"Maybe seeing little Billy was too much? You know if you wanted kids, and we could, we would have a dozen of them. I'd give you as many as you want." I whispered and kissed her head.

"I know. Of all the things vampires can do better, having babies is off the list. I'm sorry for getting so upset, Emmett."

"It's okay. I'll be right here as long as you need me." We had only been home a few days, and it seemed like Rosalie already needed a vacation. All the stress with Tanya and Irina was getting to her. Now that I had seen clearly how upset she was about the visit, I was beginning to think of ways to stop them from coming. None of them would ever work, but I just wanted Rose to be happy and right now she was more miserable than I had ever seen her.

--

The end

I hope you guys like this so far! I had to rewrite this like four times because I lost the disk and forgot to email it to myself before I left work today. Please send reviews?? I love love LOVE reviews ;)


	3. Company's Coming

Those Were the Days – Company's Coming

T to be safe

Stephenie owns everything, like always.

--

A few days before Tanya and Irina were set to arrive, a letter came from them addressed to Carlisle. I had picked it up at the post office in town and it took every ounce of strength for me to not read it or burn it or both on the way home. Carlisle was waiting in the kitchen when I walked in, so I gave it directly to him. The temptation to violate his mail was too strong today. "I think there's a letter from Tanya. What does it say?" Maybe they weren't coming after all? Maybe it would just be one of them and not both? Maybe they were exiled from Denali and would be living here permanently? I really hoped that last thought wasn't true.

"Well, aren't you curious, Rosalie? I haven't gotten to that one yet." After a few bills and other mail, he finally opened the letter from Denali. "It says she will be here with Irina on Friday and their bringing along a man named Travis. I think we met Travis when we came up to visit you, didn't we?"

"Yes, he was new to the clan back then. He and Irina are rather close." I thought it was rude of her to invite someone along who wasn't included in the invitation. Emmett had tried to befriend Travis on a few occasions, but they didn't get along well. Emmett thought Travis was a bit soft; he called him a sissy. Travis told me Emmett was a mindless brute with no manners. I didn't like Travis very much after that. I could understand how Irina got along with him. They were both perfectly awful people.

"They will be here on Friday, sometime during the day, so we should have the guest rooms ready for them." He looked at me and put the letter away. I knew he wanted me to take care of their rooms, as if it would teach me a lesson in hospitality. I was hoping Tanya and Irina would share the spare bedroom nobody ever used, so I wouldn't have much work to do. And in that case, they would stay out of the room I kept aside from the one I shared with Emmett. Now that they were bringing a friend along, I had to give up my extra room for the girls and clean the empty room on top of that.

--

Rosalie had been in a horrible mood for the last two days. I offered to help her move her things to the attic, but she insisted on doing it alone. She decided that if the girls would be staying in her room, she didn't want them touching any of her things. Rose had a lot of things. Photo albums, scrapbooks, beauty items like curlers and hair dryers. Luckily all of her clothes were in the walk-in closet in the room we shared, so she didn't have to move any of that. To lend a hand, I set up a few pieces of spare furniture in the empty room for Travis. He was a bit soft and spoiled, so I figured he needed something to keep his clothes in and something to sit on. I gave him a pink dresser from the attic and a child-size white bed with pink flowers on the bedspread. He would appreciate the effort.

To calm Rose down, I told her I would take her out the night before our guests were going to arrive. I had to physically put her into the car to get her to go out. She refused to go, saying she wanted to stay home and hide more of her stuff in the attic. I convinced her nobody was going to break anything of hers on purpose or otherwise, but she was still worried.

"I'm telling you. Once they know they're in my room, they will destroy anything of mine they can get their hands on. I lent Irina a hairbrush and she gave it back with half the bristles missing. Tanya scratched up a few of my records. They probably used the brush to ruin the records. I don't want them near my things."

"You're being paranoid. That's why were going out tonight. You need to relax." I pulled her across the seat so she was beside me and took off down the road toward town. "I haven't seen you smile in days. You're starting to worry me. I've got a surprise for you. Will you please be happy when we get there?" I purred in her ear. I was trying very hard to get her mind off of things. I knew where we were going would do just that.

"Maybe. It depends what this place is. Where are we going, Emmett? Are we going dancing? That would be fun." She smiled a little then tried to hide it. Now she was just pretending to be mad.

"No, not dancing. Something way better than dancing." She kept trying to get the secret out of me the rest of the drive. Even though I was speeding, it still took nearly an hour to get there. The place was halfway to Seattle and I hoped I hadn't gotten us lost on the way. "We're almost there. The sign is just past those trees."

She leaned forward and looked for the gigantic white sign that told us we had arrived. "Moonlight Bay Drive-in Theater presents 'Dracula's Revenge' and 'The Man from Mars'? We're going to a drive-in? That's the surprise?"

"Well, I thought Dracula sounded fun. We could have a good laugh over that one, but the 'Man from Mars' just sounds horrible. If it is, I figured we could just climb in the backseat and entertain ourselves." I smirked and paid the fee at the gate. "Do you like the surprise? I know it's a weird choice, but we don't get out much anymore."

"I love it. Thank you. How did you hear about this place?" She curled up beside me and put her head on my shoulder, like we were newlyweds again.

"I read an ad for it in the paper the other day. We aren't going to have a minute's peace with three extra people in the house, so I thought we should have a night alone while we have the chance." I pulled into a space and killed the engine. By the looks of things, we had one of the nicest cars in the place. We were also the only married couple around. Teenagers were crawling all over giggling and jumping in and out of their friend's cars while the previews rolled. Once the lights in the lot went off and the movie began, people settled down and stopped wandering to the snack bar so often.

--

I suppose I really had been a pain to live with since we moved back to Hoquiam. Emmett tried so hard to help me and all I did was push him away. He had been spending a lot more time with Edward because of it. We hardly took the time to talk anymore. It should be me who apologizes and takes him out, but instead he knows just what to do to make me happy and fix everything.

The Dracula movie was hysterical. Whenever something horrible and scary happened on the screen, we could hear girls screaming at random around the drive-in. Emmett and I just laughed about it, because we knew it was all completely fake and full of stereotypes about us. "Could you imagine that? Walking into the sun and POOF! You're a pile of sawdust?" I giggled.

"It's ridiculous, and sleeping in a coffin? Why don't you just close the curtains or sleep under a blanket or something? Or just live in a basement with no windows? Why would you choose to sleep in a tiny little box?" Emmett whispered back.

"They make it seem like only boys can be vampires. You can't even share a coffin with another person. How are you supposed to get the girl if she's got no place to sleep?"

"Girl vampires are sexy." He purred in my ear. I felt his teeth against my neck and pretended to shiver. "Sexy and dangerous. I want to suck your blood." He tried to fake an accent, but it came out rather silly.

"Oh, Dracula! No, don't bite me? I'm just a helpless girl! I could never be like you!" I giggled and pretended to fight him off. By this point, the movie had gotten so boring and factually incorrect, I didn't care about watching it anymore.

"You are mine, my darling. I will make you one of the undead, and you shall have a tiny coffin, right beside mine. Blah, Blah!" Emmett's impersonation of Dracula was horrible, but so funny at the same time.

"No! I will run away! Help, help." I whispered and climbed into the backseat. "I don't want to be like you! I'll never see the sun again! I'll turn into sawdust!"

"I will make you mine, my darling. And you will like it." He smirked and climbed over the seat to join me. "Let me see your neck. I want to bite it." He pulled me against his chest and ran his teeth over my skin again. "You can't fight Dracula. He always wins."

"Then I give up. I will be one of the undead with you." I climbed onto his lap and kissed him passionately. "See, you didn't have to bite me. Your kiss is so good, I'm a vampire already." It had been so long since Emmett and I had done anything like this with each other. We used to go parking in the car all the time, or go to the movies and make out in the balcony, or make love in the forest after a hunt, but things in our marriage had gotten stale. The last adventurous thing we had done was run away to Las Vegas the year before. We both needed this time, and we needed it more often.

Being with him this way in a drive-in in the backseat really did make me feel like a teenager again. I felt excited and free for the first time in ages. Emmett seemed a little caught off guard by it. "What's wrong? You're just sitting there. Do something?" I panted between kisses. He was sitting rather still with his hands on my hips, like a statue.

"What do you want me to do? There's kids everywhere. They might see us."

"Forget them. They know what goes on in cars. That's why their here. Just ignore them and do something. Feel me up."

"What?" He laughed at my words. "I can't believe you just said that."

"I meant it. Come on, Emmett. What's stopping you?" I purred in his ear and ran my hands down his chest to the front of his jeans. "I want you Emmett. It's an hour drive home. I can't wait that long."

Neither could he. In a split second, I could feel my back against the leather seat and I was looking at the ceiling of the car with his perfect face above mine. His hands were all over my dress above the fabric and under the skirt. It was just what we needed. Amidst the creepy music of Dracula's Castle and the sounds of alien spaceships landing, we pushed out all of the petty drama and fights we had been having and got lost in each other again. It didn't matter that it was in the middle of a drive-in full of people. All we wanted was each other and that's what we had.

--

"Hello Tanya. Irina. Good to see you both again. Welcome to our home." Rosalie was trying so hard to be polite and smile to the girls. Her face looked like it was about to crack into pieces. "Nice to see you too, again, Travis. Welcome."

"Hiya Travis. We have a room for you at the top of the stairs on the left. The girls will be on the right." I smiled and shook his hand. It felt soft, like mush. I couldn't stand weak handshakes. He really was a sissy in my eyes, but I had to be nice. Carlisle was watching us like a hawk. Travis nodded and picked up his own bag, but not Irina's. I thought that was rather rude of him not to carry his girlfriend's bag. "Travis, aren't you going to get your lady's suitcase for her? Be a gentleman?"

"What? Oh, yes. I suppose so." He picked up both bags and eventually made it up the stairs with Irina behind him. Neither of them had packed much, but Travis was clumsy and kept knocking into the walls and banister back and forth like a ping-pong ball. I moved to say something to Rosalie when a coughing sound came from the bottom of the stairs. Tanya was standing beside her luggage with her hands on her hips. She kept looking up the stairs as if she were about to climb the Alps. Rose pinched the back of my arm with a stern look.

"What? Oh, uh Edward? Won't you help Tanya with her bags? Rose wants to speak to me about something important." I mumbled and quickly found my way to the kitchen. Tanya wanted me to get her suitcase, but Rose knew that a lot sooner than I had. If I had helped her, there would have been a brawl right there in the living room. It was better that she and Edward talk about some things and clear the air between them.

"Don't you do anything she asks of you. Do you hear me?" Rose whispered. "All she wanted was to watch your backside carry her junk up the stairs. I'm sure of it. I don't trust her an inch, Emmett. Neither should you."

"Alright, alright. I got Edward to help her. I won't be alone with her, I promise. If she tries anything, I'll run. I love you. Remember that. Nothing or nobody is going to change that." I kissed her softly and heard that familiar throat clearing sound from the doorway. "Hello Tanya. What can we help you with?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but Irina and I were thinking, maybe you could show us the town? We would like to see the beach, too if that's possible?"

"We can take a drive to town. The car fits five, so we have plenty of room. We can't go to the beach. That's most definitely not possible." Rose answered.

"Why not? It isn't a far drive. I looked at a map on the way here. Only about thirty minutes down the highway just north of the Indian reservation. What was it called? La Push?"

"The Indians do not want people on their land right now. They're having some problems with hunters on their land and they're trying to keep people out. We don't want to cause any trouble. If you'd like, later this week we can take a drive to Port Angeles. There is a boardwalk there and restaurants and other things. It's a nice little sea side place." Rose seemed to relax when I came up with a decent reason for why we couldn't travel south. I didn't want Tanya and Irina to know about the wolves just yet. Chances were that the wolves would stay on their side of the line this week and we would stay on ours, so there was no need to worry. We would cross that bridge when we got to it.

"Oh, I understand. Yes, we would like to see the town today. Should we go now? It will be getting dark in a few hours."

"Sure, I'll drive us there. Have Irina and Travis meet us out in the garage in a few minutes." Rose smiled and rested her cheek against my chest. She was determined to let Tanya know who I belonged to. I didn't mind at all. I knew Rose was just being territorial and standing her ground. She really had nothing to worry about. Tanya had an awful, nasal voice that made her sound like a goose when she spoke. Unless she spontaneously turned mute someday, I could never take an interest in her.

"Will Edward be coming to town with us?" Tanya had developed a sparkle in her eye when she said Edward's name. She still had a lot of feelings for him, but they were not being returned. Edward still insisted he did not feel anything for Tanya in a romantic way.

"The car only seats five. Three of you, plus me driving and Emmett. Unless you want to stay home, honey? Would you mind if Edward came in your place? I'm sure Tanya would like that." Rose smiled up at me and batted her eyelashes. How could I say no to that?

"Sure, I'll find something to do here while you're gone. Have a good time." I kissed her much more lovingly than I should have with a guest standing there, but I knew she'd like it. She was nearly breathless when she skipped off to the garage with Tanya behind her.

--

"Travis? You should sit in the front with me. You're so tall you'll block someone's view during the tour. Edward can slouch down a little back there next to the girls. It will be more comfortable for everyone." He looked like he wanted to kill me for making that suggestion and sticking him in the back, crammed up between Tanya and Irina like that.

During the drive, I couldn't help but notice how Edward and Travis had similar styles of clothing. I could almost be sure that they shopped in the same stores, or bought items from the same designer. "Travis, is that jacket from the Bloomingdale's catalog? It looks so familiar to me. I think Edward has one like it."

"Really? I thought I was the only one who liked such a formal way of dressing. Do you shop from Bloomingdale's often, Edward?" Travis turned to ask.

"When I can. There's a small store in Seattle that carries designer items off the rack. I go there every other week. I do have one similar to yours, though. It's Alfred Beane? I have a few of his jackets. I admire his shoes more than his clothing." I was relieved to see that even if Edward continued to dislike Tanya, he could always find a friend in Travis.

I rambled on and on about the town and the few monuments and sights we had here and there as we drove around nearly in circles for over an hour. A few times, I spotted Tanya making cutesy faces at Edward in the back seat. She was trying to flirt with him, but he only seemed to get more uncomfortable as the ride went on. Irina looked bored that Travis wasn't sitting with her and stared out the window with a blank expression. "So, that's Forks. If you think that's bad, you should visit Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Boredom capitol of Appalachia." Nobody laughed at my joke. Emmett would have if he were there. I gave up and drove everyone back to the house when it began to get dark. We were in for a long week.

--

The end!

That was a really long chapter lol. I hope everyone liked it! Please send reviews and let me know what you think?? ;)

I don't know if I have any male readers, lol, but if I do and you're a dad HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! WHOO!


	4. Secrets Out

Those Were the Days – Secrets Out

T to be safe

Stephenie owns everything, except my new shoes ;)

--

I don't think our guests were very impressed with Hoquiam. It was nearly identical to Denali, aside from the humans out numbering the vampires down here. Travis had taken a good liking to Edward, and Edward was happy to have another guy around to talk to.

On the third morning of the visit, I came down to the kitchen to greet everyone, but I noticed someone was missing. "Rose, where's Irina? Is she up in her room still?"

"She's not upstairs? I thought she was. Carlisle, have you seen Irina?" he shook his head no and went back to his paper. "Has anyone seen her recently?" Travis said no, Tanya and Edward who were both reading the finance section of the paper each shook their heads, and Esme looked slightly worried. "Did she go hunting this morning? She didn't say where she was going?"

"Why are you so worried, Rosalie? Irina can handle herself." Tanya smirked and whispered something to Edward. They both held back a giggle and continued studying the pages in front of them.

"She didn't say where she was going. I saw her very early today, around four am when I was going to talk to Edward about something." Travis answered. Rose knew why I was concerned, but I tried my best to hide it. Irina shouldn't be hunting alone.

"We should go look for her, Carlisle. Maybe she got…lost? She doesn't know the area like we do. If she went south, it could be hard for her to find her way back." Carlisle gave me a nod in understanding and stood up from the table with me. "Rose, let's go see if we can track her down?"

"What's all the fuss about? She's probably just out exploring. She was bored yesterday and said she was getting thirsty. I'm sure she's fine." Tanya answered again. Rose and I tried to be calm about things and not seem too worried, but if Irina had gone south, she could be in real danger. The wolves didn't know her and wouldn't hesitate to attack when they realized what she was.

"I'll go out in the truck. If I pick up her scent, I'll follow it. You will both go south, but do not cross the border. No confrontations. If you see them, leave and come straight home. If you find Irina, bring her back." I agreed, knowing full well who Carlisle was speaking about.

"Edward, who's he talking about? If Emmett and Rosalie see who? Is Irina in some kind of danger I'm unaware of?" Tanya whispered. Edward shook his head and kept looking at the paper.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure she's fine. She could have gone north, east, or west just as easily as south. She's probably just found a nice place to lay in the sun and relax for a while."

--

Emmett and I had been zigzagging through the woods for over an hour all over the southern parts of our territory. We had picked up a strange scent a few times, but it turned out to be nothing that led nowhere. We were about to give up and go home, when Emmett froze in his tracks. "Look, there are bare foot prints here. They're almost as big as mine. The wolves have been here in human form."

"Let's follow them. Maybe they will lead somewhere, because we haven't got much else to go on." We followed the footprints in the mud until they vanished in a large pack of bushes. On the far side of the greenery, enormous paw prints replaced the human tracks into a clearing nearby. "You were right, it's the wolves. They aren't supposed to be this far north. Do you think they found her, Emmett?"

"Would that be happy news for you, or sad news?" He smirked and followed the tracks with his body close to the ground.

"I'd be happier if it was Tanya." I chuckled and kept low behind him. The smell of the wolves was so fresh it was burning my nose. "How many do you think it is? Just two, right?"

"I only see two pairs of tracks here, but there could be more coming from another location. I hear something." He froze again and crouched even lower. Ahead of us in a clearing, one of the wolves was rolling around in the sun scratching it's back on the grass. "Stupid dogs."

The second dog was nowhere to be seen. From the corner of my eye, I saw the leaves of a bush shake slightly. We weren't the only ones here watching the stupid mutt make a fool of himself. "Emmett. Look." I pointed toward the bushes on the left just as Irina busted out in a full sprint toward the wolf. Her eyes were black as night and her jaws were opened for attack. "NO!" I took two large steps toward her and tackled her from the side, just as she was about to pounce on the wolf.

"Get off of me! It's going to get away!" Irina growled and tried to wrestle out of my grip. I pinned her to the earth face down with her arms across her back while the now snarling wolf circled us. Irina suddenly broke free and tackled the wolf from the side when he wasn't expecting it. Before she could get her teeth around his neck, the wolf kicked and sent her flying into a tree trunk. Irina rebounded quickly and made for another attack, but I grabbed her by her waist and held her down again. This time, she wasn't going anywhere. The wolf was crouched nearby and looked like it was about to lunge at the both of us.

"You can't eat those, Irina! GO HOME! She's with us! She just didn't know!" I yelled at the wolf.

"Hey! Hey you! Stupid dog! You want a fight? Come and get one!" Emmett growled as he walked into the clearing. "You're not supposed to be here are you? I have every right to give you a whooping just for being on our land!"

Irina stopped struggling for a moment to see what was going on. "Why is he talking to it? What's happening?" The wolf looked between all of us for a moment then vanished into the trees. A few moments later, a familiar face returned to the clearing in a pair of cutoff blue jeans. He kept his eyes on Irina and minded his distance from all of us.

"Is she one of you? Does she eat like you?" Quil asked. He had grown several more inches since I had last seen him and all of his long, beautiful hair was cut off to his ears. "Why is she here? We made a deal. You weren't to create any more vampires while you lived here."

"We didn't create her, Quil." Emmett answered. "She's from a group in Alaska who live the way we do. They're only staying until the end of the week. Would you mind telling me why you're here? You aren't supposed to cross the line."

"There was a rumor about your friend. Someone saw her with you in town and we were concerned that you had broken the rules. The wolves were sent to patrol the line this morning, when we picked up her scent and didn't recognize it, we decided to investigate. She's not going to harm anyone? You're positive of that?"

"She hasn't bitten a human in over fifty years, Quil. Right, Irina?" I asked looking down at her. I realized I was still pinning her to the ground and let her up. "This is why you can not go south when you hunt. There is a treaty line that runs along here, which keeps the werewolves and vampires separate. We're only allowed to stay here on the promise that we won't harm people."

"He's…he's a werewolf?" Irina looked Quil over in disbelief. "And you can change into a person or a wolf whenever you like? That's insane."

"You eat blood and have no body temperature. That's insane to me." Quil shrugged.

"So you will tell your people that we haven't broken any rules? And you'll stay off of our side?" Emmett asked.

Quil took a moment to think it over before agreeing. "I will tell them she's just visiting with a few friends. We are going to make sure that she leaves at the end of the week with the others. I'm sorry for trespassing. I was just doing my job."

"No harm done, Quil." I smiled politely.

"And I'm sorry for mistaking you for lunch. It was nice to meet you, Quil." Irina nodded.

Quil vanished back into the trees while the three of us went back towards home. Emmett and I explained the details of the treaty and reasons behind it, so Irina could warn Tanya and Travis about it as well. But we made sure she understood that nobody else in Denali or anywhere could know what was happening. We had made a promise to the wolves not to share their secret.

--

The end

I hope you guys liked this one. I know it was a little short, but I wasn't sure what else to put into it right now. PLEASE REVIEW?? I love reviews ;)


	5. Bored Interests

Those Were the Days – Bored Interests

T to be safe

Stephenie owns my soul lol.

**A/N : This chapter has some mature content in it! Nothing terrible but stuff that could potentially offend a person. I think if you're reading about teenage vampires though, you shouldn't let this stuff make u mad lol, just read it and let me know what you think.**

--

"Where did you go? See, Rose? I told you Irina would be fine." Tanya gave me an annoyed look across the kitchen table. She rolled her eyes and whispered something in Edward's ear that made him smirk. "I think you make too much of things, sometimes. If you have an agreement with these wolves, then there really is nothing to worry about. If you had told us the truth about them from the beginning, we would have stayed north with no problem. Irina didn't even cross the line. The wolves came here. The confrontation was their fault, not ours." I was sure by 'ours' she meant the Denali trio exclusively, not the Cullen's. Because a Cullen had hidden the truth, we were partly to blame in her eyes. The end of the week couldn't come soon enough. I wanted her and her friends out of our house. And by 'our house' I meant the Cullen's.

The next day came quickly and was pleasantly gloomy outside as always. We all found ourselves on the front porch lounging around with nothing to do. Carlisle and Esme were off at the hospital working and visiting sick patients. "What are we going to do today? We have to do something. I can't take another day of this sitting around business." Tanya sighed.

"Rose, would you mind if I borrowed your car?" Edward asked from his seat on the bottom step.

"You'd better have a good reason for it." I hated letting him drive my car. He moved the seat all the way back so I couldn't reach the pedals when I went to drive it myself. He was also rough on the gears when he shifted and my car wasn't exactly brand new any longer.

"I wanted to take a ride to Seattle to do some shopping. I thought Travis would like to see the big city. If you'd like, I could drop you off in town on our way." He was smart about negotiations, I could give him that. That was Edward, always trying to please everyone, but mainly thinking of himself.

"Really? I'm not in the mood for Seattle today, but I would like to go to town and see about some new shoes. Does anyone want to come with me?" I looked around at everyone.

Emmett shrugged. "I don't feel much like shopping today. I was thinking about a hunt later, if it doesn't rain."

"Tanya? Why don't you come with me? I saw a pair of really nice ladies boots in the window of Smith's shoe store you would like." If Emmett was staying behind, I wasn't leaving Tanya here with him and shoes were the best way to get her away from my husband. I was right. Her face lit up at the idea of new boots.

"Yes! A trip to town sounds wonderful. Irina, will you come too?"

Irina shook her head and looked away. "I'm going to stay behind. I'm getting thirsty and I want to hunt later. I'll hunt with you, Emmett, if you don't mind." I'd rather have Irina with Emmett than Tanya, the lesser of two evils. Irina was dating Travis, so she would be less likely to try anything sneaky.

"I don't mind at all." Emmett smiled and turned back to me.

"All right. Can you drop Tanya and I off in town when you go? We can walk back when we're done. It's not that far." Everyone agreed to meet back at the garage in an hour to head out.

--

"Rose?"

"Yes, Edward?" He and I were waiting in the garage for Tanya and Travis to join us. They were supposed to meet us in the garage twenty minutes ago, but had yet to come out of the house.

"Have Tanya sit in the back with you? I don't think I can take another minute of her being on top of me. She's making me crazy." He mumbled. "Please? For an old bugger like me?"

"She really likes you, Edward. Why don't you just give her a chance? She's very pretty, don't you think? Just one date wouldn't kill you. Does this have anything to do with you turning forty today? Nobody knows but me. Is that why you're all cranky?" I couldn't help but smirk at his misery of growing old.

"No I don't care about being forty as long as I look seventeen, but her thoughts, Rose, the things that go through her mind when she looks at me…" He trailed off and looked off into the distance.

"What does she think about? I won't tell anyone. Promise." I made an innocent face and batted my eyes at him. I knew that would get it out of him. I desperately wanted to know what went on inside Tanya's mind while her evil little gears turned.

Edward pursed his lips and shook his head. "She…has fantasies…about me. Sometimes she's in them, but mostly it's just me. She has one where I'm in the shower washing my hair and I'm covered in soap. The ones of just me aren't that bad, I mean, I've seen myself that way nearly everyday for four decades. But then she puts herself in the fantasies and in most all of them, she's not wearing much, or anything at all. She gets in the shower with me and…it's rather visual. So visual I almost feel her hands on me sometimes." I was honestly shocked that he was telling me these things. Edward never told anyone private thoughts like these. He said they belonged to other people and weren't his to share. Tanya must have really been bothering him lately if he needed to confess these things to someone.

"That's what she thinks about? I knew she had a dirty mind, but wow. She thinks about things like this often?"

"Constantly." He frowned and ran a hand over his hair. He seemed very frustrated by the thoughts Tanya was giving him. I couldn't help but feel bad for Edward. He hadn't had a girlfriend in over a decade and as far as I knew, he hadn't ever gone farther than kissing with anyone.

"Forgive me, Edward, but this frustration you're getting from her. Is it an angry frustration like you really don't want to see these things in your mind? Or is it a tempting frustration, like you don't entirely _mind_ seeing these things, but they feel…inappropriate?" He held up two fingers at me, but continued to look away. "The second one. Would it really _kill_ you to, I don't know, _ease_ your frustrations with her and be done with it?"

"Yes it would, Rosalie. You know I could never do something like that. I don't believe in it and I won't ruin my shot at some kind of decent afterlife by getting involved with someone like her." A hostile look filled his eyes when he turned and growled at me. I took a step back in surprise at his sudden change of attitude. Edward never spoke to me that way, not even in an argument.

"I didn't mean to offend you. It's not healthy to feel the way you do, Edward. You need to do something about it before you go crazy. And don't ever yell at me that way again or you won't have the pieces to ease your frustrations after all." I growled back.

"Are we interrupting?" Travis asked from the doorway. He and Tanya had been standing there for a while. I looked to Edward to see if they had heard anything and he gave me a quick nod that they had not.

"No, not at all. Let's go. It's getting late." Edward climbed into the driver's seat while I helped Tanya into the back, as he had requested.

--

"So…are you and Travis thinking of taking the next step?" Irina didn't say much on our hunt. I found myself trying and trying to fill the silence with small talk. I had forgotten how boring she can be when she didn't have Tanya around to liven things up.

She shrugged and picked some leaves from a bush to rip them apart in her fingertips. "We've been together a while, but I don't think marriage is in the picture. We're both very independent people and commitment is hard for each of us. It's a miracle we've made it as far as we have. It will be a year next month." She gave me a small smile and continued strolling at a slow pace down a trail through the forest.

"A year? But you broke up over four times in the past eight months. You just count from the beginning then, and don't count the break-ups? That seems like a good way to handle it. What if he asked you to marry him? Would you say yes?"

"Why are you asking me this, Emmett? You've been babbling non-stop since we left the house. Can't you just not talk?" She turned and growled at me with the most hostile stare.

"I'm sorry. You don't say much. At least, not today. You're normally much more social than this. I'll shut up then and leave you alone." I was beginning to see why Rose didn't like her very much. Tanya was her least favorite, but she could do without Irina as well.

--

"They must be home already." I noted when I saw the car in the garage. Tanya and I had been in town most of the day, but I thought for sure Edward would have been gone much longer than we had. Seattle was over an hour away and Edward was the slowest shopper I had ever laid eyes on. It took him two hours to pick out a shirt and tie once. Both pieces ended up being black in the end, anyhow. It was not a difficult choice.

When we walked inside, I took Tanya's bags for her. "I'll take these up to your room. I want to show Edward the shoes I bought and give him the bracelet I picked out for his birthday." Today was June 20, and I didn't want to make a big fuss over him, but Edward would be forty today if he were alive. To me, forty is a rather big deal. I crept up the stairs and left Tanya's things on the bed in her room before going down the hall to find Edward. I could hear the record player in his room, so I knew he was there. The door was cracked open about an inch and I nearly knocked, but what I saw through the crack caused me to freeze in place. Curiosity got the best of me, so I kept watching when I should have minded my own business. To keep Edward from hearing my thoughts, I replayed random tunes in my head as if I was listening to the radio in another room.

Edward had on a crisp new shirt and pants with the tags still on and was admiring himself in his long, full-length mirror. First the left side, then he turned and looked at the right. Travis was with him, shirtless, but with a new pair of black trousers clinging to his hips. He had a very nice upper-body. I never would have guessed. I always found him too skinny. Something didn't seem quite right about Travis. He was smiling much more than he had been for the past few days. He seemed so relaxed and casual. Edward continued obsessing over his own handsome looks, when Travis took a place beside him, but just a slight step behind. They were whispering things, or maybe it was just Edward answering Travis's thoughts? Travis moved so he was directly to the left of Edward and had his right hand on the small of his back. This struck me as very odd, but Edward didn't seem to mind it. If he did, he wasn't showing any kind of displeasure toward Travis. I moved my eyes from Travis's hand up to their faces and took a step back from the door suddenly. Travis was about to press his lips to Edward's and that would be too much for me to comprehend at the moment.

I dropped the box in front of the door without thinking. I put my hand over my mouth and tried to walk away as if I hadn't seen anything, but a pair of icy, strong arms pushed me into my own room and slammed the door shut. "What did you see?" he pushed me against the back of my door, but didn't hurt me. He had his arms pinned to the wood on either side of my shoulders and was practically snarling at me in a rage.

"I…I saw you…and Travis…"

"No! That's the wrong answer. I'm going to ask you once again, Rose. What did you _see_!"

I knew what I saw and I didn't want to believe it. I wasn't exactly sure what answer he wanted me to give. I thought he wanted the truth, but that seemed incorrect. "I…didn't see anything."

"Exactly. I will talk with you later when I've calmed down. Don't ever spy on me again, do you hear me?" He backed away from the door and put his arms to his sides letting me escape his tantrum. "You didn't see anything and that's that."

"What about Irina? She loves him." I whispered.

"No, she doesn't. We will talk later." He turned and was gone from my room before I could utter another word. I sat on the bed with my head in my hands trying to understand the situation. Never had I ever had any notions, ideas, or questions that Edward was in any way attracted to men. I fully believed, as well, that Travis was in love with Irina. Why else would he come all the way to Forks with her? Nothing was making any sense. I desperately needed Emmett, but I had no idea where he could be.

--

That hunt would mark four hours of my existence I could never get back. I would never go hunting with Irina again if I was promised my weight in solid gold. When she did answer me, she was vague or angry toward me. She complained that our animals tasted strange and that the plant life was much prettier in Denali. Everything in Denali was better to her. She really detested it here in Washington. I silently hoped for a reason they would end their visit a few days early.

I trudged back to the house to find Tanya in the kitchen looking bored. She had her shiny new boots up on Esme's kitchen table, which I absolutely knew was against the rules. If Esme was to see her lounging around this way, it would be a one-way ticket back to Alaska, so I ignored it and let her sit anyway she liked. Irina took a seat beside her at the table and began to ooh and ahh over the new shoes. This was my cue to find an exit. I could smell Rose's perfume from upstairs and followed it to our room. "Angel? How was your trip to town?" My smile fell when I saw her sitting on the bed looking concerned.

"Nothing." She answered, but pointed to Edward's room next door. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She put a finger to her lips telling me to keep quiet and not say anything else about it. "Where is Irina? Did you have a good hunt?"

"No, not at all. She's in the kitchen with Tanya. I tell you, the sooner they get out of here, the better. Irina is the most boring person I have ever spent time with. And she's mean. I can fully understand why they get on your nerves so badly." I smiled down at her and kissed her nose. I looked into her eyes and she had a funny expression on her face. "What are you thinking about Angel?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She smiled innocently and waved goodbye to an imaginary person in the room below us.

--

The end!

Nobody saw that one coming did they lol ;) I dunno where this story is going or why, its just kind of plunking out of my head and onto the keys. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDWARD!! It's June 20th today, he's 107 now! toots a horn SEND ME REVIEWS PLEASE?? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS ONE LOL. ;)


	6. Upside Down

Those Were the Days – Upside Down

T to be safe

Stephenie owns everything and the kitchen sink.

--

He couldn't have picked a worse time to want to speak to me. What made it worse was he knew exactly when to bother me. This was his revenge. Not just for what I saw happening in his room earlier in the day, but for all of the times he heard my thoughts and Emmett's thoughts going to places he didn't want to know about.

"Do you want me to stop?" Emmett mumbled. I could tell he was rather into the moment and didn't want to stop for any reason, especially this one.

My head was in a bit of a fog at the moment. I wasn't really able to form a clear answer. "No, keep going Emmett, please?" He did as I asked, but it was getting much more difficult to concentrate with Edward screaming my name into the hall every few minutes.

"Tune him out. Does this help?" Emmett picked up the speed and purred loudly into my ear to drown out any other sounds I might notice. I smirked at his plan and devised one of my own. Instead of just moaning Emmett's name and other random things, I would think them very loudly, clearly, and obscenely before vocalizing them. After a few minutes, I heard a door slam followed by the sound of angry footsteps running down the stairs.

"It helps very much. Keep doing that, it's really good." I turned my head and pulled roughly on my husband's ear with my teeth. He let out a growl and buried his face into my neck.

"Glad to be of help, Angel. And you keep doing that."

--

"Do you think you're funny? You know why you waited to talk to me. Don't lie. You wanted revenge on me, but you didn't have to drag Emmett into it too. He was just trying to enjoy himself. Maybe you should try it sometime. Oh, wait. You did. With Travis." I spat at Edward. I found him waiting for me down by the creek so we could speak in private.

"It's not what it looks like." He mumbled, but wouldn't look at me. "You have to swear, Rose. You won't tell anyone about it, ever. You didn't really even see anything anyway."

"If you didn't do anything then why are you so ashamed of anyone knowing? I know what I saw." Just so he was clear on what I did see, I replayed the scene in my head for him. "But what about Tanya and Irina? Irina is in love with him. And Tanya wants you. Does either of them know anything is going on?"

He shook his head and pitched a few pebbles into the water. "I couldn't bear it if Carlisle ever knew. He doesn't believe in it. And no, Irina knows he's been with another girl in their clan who's since been destroyed for treason. She doesn't know he likes men."

"Do you, Edward?" I wasn't really sure how to handle this type of thing. I had never to my knowledge met a gay man in person. I was sure there was something in the bible about it being wrong or immoral, but then again, it also said people who come back from the dead are demons from hell and work for Satan. I was none of those things and neither was any member of my family. "You can tell me."

He sighed and ran a hand over his hair. "No. I'm not."

"Why did you do it? I don't understand."

"I'm not even sure. He and I just get along so well. He reminds me of myself when I was much younger." Figures. It's all about his ego and Edward thinking so highly of himself that he would want to make out with someone identical to him in personality and comparable in looks. I could be certain he said something once along the lines that he was so good looking; he would make love to himself if he could. And he calls me superficial? "He was there and I was there and it just happened."

"What are your plans for the next three days? They aren't leaving for a while yet. Have you spoken to Travis at all about this?"

"Of course I have." He snapped at me suddenly. "I told him I wasn't interested. And I'm not. Do you know where Tanya is at the moment? I can't hear her thoughts anymore."

"She went hunting to the east with Esme. Why are you so con…"

"Don't worry about me, dammit! Worry about yourself for once and stop harping all over me!" He was gone before I could say another word. A few minutes later, Emmett was beside me pulling me into one of his wonderful hugs.

"I heard him yell at you. He's lucky he ran when he did. I don't like it when he treats you that way. What did he want to talk about? It had better be important because I promise you, when he does finally get a girl alone in his room, I will make sure to think fondly of my grandmother churning butter in her nightgown in the town square if it ruins his enjoyment." I laughed loudly and shook my head to get rid of that ghastly mental image. "What kind of sick, evil person screams his sisters name into the hallway while she's making love to her husband?"

"You should be the one screaming my name." I purred into his ear and grabbed it with my teeth again. That had become my weapon of choice with Emmett lately. If I did that, I could make him do whatever I wanted. "It's so quiet out here. Let's find a nice spot and make some noise? We can pick up where we left off earlier."

"You know just what I like to hear. And now that he's gone he can't interrupt us anymore." Emmett smirked and scooped me up into his gigantic arms.

--

When we returned home a few hours later, the house felt like it had been flipped on its head. Travis and Irina were slow dancing in a close embrace to the record player in the living room. They looked more happy and in love than I had ever seen them. Since they had arrived, there was an odd sort of distance between them, as if they had an argument and were taking a break from each other for a while. It seemed their storm had cleared and they were madly in love once again.

Esme was folded up on the sofa reading her copy of Gone With the Wind. She looked upset by something, as she was chewing on her fingernail without thinking. Carlisle passed through the room on his way to the kitchen. He saw her and kept going without a pause. "Esme, are you all right? You look troubled." I sat on the stool beside her and tried to get her to look away from her novel. "Esme?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry dear. It's nothing. You'd think after so long he would remember our anniversary is this weekend? He's scheduled back-to-back shifts from Friday until Sunday evening. We had a little fight, but it will work itself out. Is that Edward I hear coming up the front steps?"

"Yeah, that's him." I nearly fell off the stool when he walked in. He had one hand holding the screen door open while the other rested comfortably on the center of Tanya's back. Well there's something I never thought I would see. "Edward. Hey buddy. Did you and Rose get to talk earlier?" I smiled up at him.

"Yes, we did. I'm sorry for being rude and interrupting the two of you, but it was important. Esme, would it be all right if I borrowed the pick-up truck for a little while?"

"What for? It's awfully late, Edward." Esme looked up from her book and gave them a warm smile.

"I just wanted to go for a drive with Tanya." If only Rose could hear this. She was in the garage working on her car. She would get the shock of her life when she saw them walk out there together and drive off so late at night. There was no way he would be told no. Esme had been waiting for over a decade for Edward to take a girl out. I wasn't surprised when she nodded and wished them well. "Thank you so much, Esme. We will be back soon."

Once they had gone, I turned to Esme with a wide-eyed look. "Do you think he's had a change of heart? I thought he didn't see her that way."

"Love works in mysterious ways, Emmett. If he's happy, then I'm happy." I nodded and turned to watch Irina and Travis dancing. They seemed so into their own little world, I wondered if they had heard anything that had just been said.

--

"Hey, where do you think you're going? Did you ask Carlisle if you could take his truck?" What was Edward doing at this hour? And why was he doing it with Tanya holding onto his arm like a big blonde parasite? I stood up from under the hood of my car practically covered in grease to see him helping her into the passenger seat. "Edward?"

"We're going for a drive. I'll be home soon." I watched him kiss her hand before shutting her door and getting in on his own side. I couldn't think of a word to say as the truck disappeared into the night with the pair of them inside. My mouth was just hanging open like a fly trap.

"Isn't that the strangest thing you've ever witnessed?" Emmett was behind me with a smirk on his face that was as baffled as my own.

"What is going on around here? Irina and Travis are madly in love, Carlisle and Esme are fighting, and those two are about to elope! Emmett, I don't understand anything anymore." I buried my face in his chest, but kept my hands out to the sides to keep him from getting greasy.

"You're brilliant plan to get them sent home is kind of out the window now, huh?" He laughed and pet my hair. "Let's get you cleaned up and back in the house. I have a surprise for you upstairs." He knew just what to say to cheer me up.

--

The end…

Sorry for the less-frequent updates, but I cant write at work anymore. It's June, my busiest month at the office, so I can only write when I'm home. I will try to post these up more often once my work load slows down a little. And I answer you…EDWARD IS NOT GAY LOL, hes not, he was just curious ;) Now hit that GO button down there and send me some reviews!


	7. Mistaken Identity

Those Were the Days – Mistaken Identity

T to be safe (shower scene! its pretty juicy in this chap ;) ))

Stephenie owns it all. Im just putterin along till August 2nd lol.

--

"Hey bro. Why do you look so glum? I thought after a night out with Tanya, you would be dancing in the aisles." Edward was sitting on the back steps leaned against the railing post chucking pebbles out into the trees. "It didn't go well, did it?" I whispered and sat across from him against the other post.

"No, it was…awkward to say the least. I can't tune her out like I can other people. And her thoughts are rather vivid and blunt as a mallet." Even with that annoying problem, I thought for sure he would be glad to ignore her and get some real action for a change.

"What happened? I won't tell anyone."

He waited for a moment to read my thoughts and make sure I was honest about keeping his secret. "We went for a drive around then ended up at that make-out spot up on the cliff. You know the one."

"Course I do." I had some fond memories of that cliff stored away in my own memory.

"We sat there looking out over the lights of the town and I had my arm around her. I was trying to be a gentleman and take my time, but her thoughts, Emmett. She kept replaying the same obscene things over and over. Eventually, she began to think of other things when she got bored. Or so I thought. She cleared her mind for a few minutes before attacking me."

"She attacked you? Like she wanted to hurt you or she just wanted to get in your pants?" I hoped it was the second one.

"To get in my pants. I pushed her off gently and told her it wasn't going to be like that. We could…spend the time being more patient and respectful of each other, rather than going at each other like wild animals."

"Ok, first of all if a girl is willing to go parking, she most likely doesn't care about respect, patience, or you being a gentleman. Secondly…you're crazy for stopping her. But go on." I laughed and waited for him to continue.

"Well, she agreed to go at my pace, which was fine for a while. But then she started thinking about how bored she was and what she really wanted to do to me. It took so much effort for me to tune her out; I couldn't focus on what I was doing. The mood just died and I gave up."

"Why couldn't you just let her have her way? In the end I think you both would have been more than happy." I smirked.

"Because!" He shouted then lowered his voice back to a whisper. "Because, I'm the man. It's my job to set the pace and say what happens. I brought her back home and that's the end of it. She said she still has feelings for me and if I wanted, I could call her or visit her up in Denali whenever I liked. She's upstairs with the girls right now."

"Probably talking about you." I laughed. That's what girls did, talked about us; only they were much less secretive about their conversations.

"Emmett?" I heard Rosalie yelling down from the bedroom window upstairs. "I'm going to get a shower. Come find me when you're done with Edward?"

"Sure Angel." I answered and looked up toward the window. I couldn't see where she had called from at this angle. The window was above the porch roof, while I was halfway under it. "I think I'm going to go find my wife and have some fun. Have a nice time brooding, Edward."

--

I crept down the upstairs hallway passing rooms one by one until I came to the main bathroom. I could hear the shower running and a gentle swishing of a washrag under the stream of water. I bit my lip and pressed down on the handle to step into the steam-filled room. Rosalie preferred to shower here because this room was much larger than the one connected to our bedroom. She graciously gave that small, claustrophobic bathroom and shower to me.

This bathroom had white marble floors with gray marble walls and an enormous shower behind a frosted glass sliding door. The kind you can nearly see through, but makes the person on the inside look all squiggly. I could smell Dove soap and Rose scented shampoo thickly in the steam of the bathroom. It was difficult to see more than a few feet ahead of me through the fog, but on the counter, I could see a pink fluffy robe and slippers beside a black silk nightgown. I guessed Rose wanted to surprise me after her shower with a new set of nightclothes. She never wore black to bed, but I had been pushing the idea lately.

I turned the corner in the bathroom to where the shower was and bit my lip nervously. I took another step, so I could see the outline of her body through the glass and leaned my back against the wall just far enough away so she wouldn't notice me. I wasn't sure if she would be mad at me for doing this. In all the time we had been married, I never dared to interfere with her while she was washing or grooming herself. The bathroom was her space for her private time and I always assumed I would be unwelcome.

With a devious smile on my lips, I watched her through the frosted glass. She had just gotten under the water before I walked in and was washing her feet with a soapy white rag. One leg at a time, she ran the rag back and forth over each calf, knee, then thigh, leaving a thick layer of white suds behind. I wanted so badly to join her and run that rag over her skin myself, but I knew it wouldn't be smart. Besides, I was having the time of my life just watching her.

She turned her back to me when she moved the rag up to wash her stomach and chest, which disappointed me a little, but all that faded when she turned back around and the white suds were just dripping off her everywhere. It had to be the sexiest way I had ever seen her. Better than hunting, better than the red honeymoon outfit, better than her just standing in our room naked to the world with the moonlight on her skin. It took every ounce of my self-control to stand perfectly still in that corner and keep absolutely quiet.

She finished with the rag, but didn't wash the soap off right away, which I enjoyed quite a bit. She soaked her long, blonde hair under the spray of the water and coated it with the shampoo in a messy pile on top of her head. There was so much soap erupting from her hair like a volcano; it ran down her arms, over her back to the curves of her hips and thighs. This just kept getting better and better by the second. She turned at a strange angle with her arms over her head to rub in the shampoo, I could see the clear outline of her neck, breasts and stomach through the foggy glass as the soap washed away, exposing her incredible white skin and all its shadows and curves.

Somewhere in the house, a door slammed, causing me to snap out of my incredible, erotic fantasy. I decided it would be best to leave before I was caught and yelled at for being a peeping Tom. I slipped out quietly, past the sink with the clothes beside it and closed the door with a gentle click behind myself. That was one experience I would never be able to forget.

--

"Ugh, where is my robe? I can never find it when I need it." I had been searching high and low for my favorite bathrobe, but it had disappeared. I decided to forget it and just take another from the shelf in my closet. This one was pink like the other, but not nearly as soft or fluffy. I picked out a sexy nightgown to surprise Emmett and bunched it up with a towel and the robe before going down the hall to the bathroom. The door was closed, so I knocked a few times. "Esme? Is that you?"

"No. Sorry, it's me! I didn't know you were waiting for the shower. I can wait until you're done, if you'd like." Someone had beaten me to the punch. I didn't like being forced to wait for the least used room in the house to be free, so I sighed and said no.

"That's okay, you go ahead. I'll use Emmett's bathroom." I grumbled to myself all the way back down the hall and shut the door to the bedroom. His bathroom was off to the left side through a large oak door. I detested this bathroom. It was tiny, black and white tiled, old fashioned to the point of resembling an outhouse, and had an evil plastic curtain. When the water got hot, some kind of magical physics took over causing that dirty, cheap plastic curtain to be sucked into the shower where it would suction itself to my legs and chest in the cramped space. I would spend my entire shower fighting it off like the plague. And don't get me started on the mildew.

I washed as quickly as possible and jumped out of that coffin of a shower as fast as I possibly could. In the big shower, I could take my time and relax and not worry about a thing in the world. In this miserable closet of a bathroom, I felt almost nauseous with dread I would touch something horrid or repulsive.

I rushed out into the main bedroom, slamming the oak door behind myself. I tried to find a happy place in my mind while I dug up a pair of pajama pants for myself and pulled on one of Emmett's gigantic flannel shirts. Since he hadn't come to find me, I decided to go and find him on my own. As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard a sound behind me and turned to look. "Emmett? What are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing. I was looking for you." He seemed oddly nervous and wouldn't look at me with his eyes. He moved away from the hallway bathroom door and kept staring at it, as if it was going to bite him. I noticed his hair and shirt were both damp, and by the sight of his jeans, he had seen something he really liked.

"You're all damp. Were you just in there? What's going on?" I walked closer to him trying to figure out exactly what he was up to.

"I uh, was…you said you…"

"Emmett? What's going on? Why is everyone just standing here?" A third voice joined the conversation, although not one I would ever be happy to hear. The bathroom door opened suddenly and Tanya stepped out with only her towel wrapped around her body. Her long blonde hair was soaked and hung dripping down her back.

"Emmett! Answer me! Did you just come out of the bathroom where Tanya was taking a shower? Yes or No?" I demanded. I looked between both of them, but they were no help. Tanya was trying to look clueless and innocent, however I knew that had to be a lie of an expression. Emmett couldn't even seem to form a single coherent sentence. "Dammit, somebody better answer me this instant!" I shouted.

"Emmett? Were you in here watching me? If he was, Rose, I really had no idea." She shrugged and smiled up at him with an evil grin.

"No idea my ass you dirty home wrecker!" I shouted and lunged toward her. Emmett grabbed me by my waist and held me back from clawing her to pieces. I never spoke that way. The only time I used language like that was when I meant business. I threw Emmett's hands off my waist and slammed him backwards into the wall by his chest. "Don't touch me! Don't even look at me! Look at her! That's what you want, right?" I yanked my rings off and threw them at Emmett's head before flying down the stairs. I stopped at the laundry room to grab a pair of boots and some decent clothes before running out the back door.

--

"How could you do this?"

"I didn't do a thing. You were the one watching me in the shower all that time." She smiled evilly and took a step toward me. Her towel was holding on by a thread and could fall to the floor at any second. In my own defense, she really did look exactly like Rosalie through the foggy glass door. They were very close in height and physical build and both incredibly blonde. I honestly mistook her for my wife and now I would pay for it. "Tell me, did you like what you saw in there? You could have it anytime you like. My invitation still stands, Emmett." She easily reminded me of the open sexual invitation she gave while Rose and I still lived in Denali. She might believe in affairs, but I sure didn't.

"I'll have to decline. I'm happily married, Tanya. And you want Edward." I moved away from her and picked Rose's rings up from the floor. Rose was right. If Edward didn't want her, she would come after me again. Now I might have lost Rose for good.

"You may be married, but I'm not so certain about the happily part. You know where to find me if you reconsider." She ran a hand down the front of my shirt to the front of my jeans and disappeared back into the steamy bathroom. I hardly noticed. The only thing I could think of was finding my wife and finding someway to earn back her forgiveness.

--

"Who's there? I can hear you." I was sitting on the creek bank with my cardigan balled up in my arms, crying into it softly. Just because I didn't have tears, didn't mean I couldn't be sad. My husband had just been watching another woman in the shower, a women he knew to be dangerous, as well as one of my enemies. My world was crashing around me. My Emmett was no longer my Emmett. My hand felt disgusting without my rings attached safely to my finger. I couldn't bear to look at it any longer. I balled it up into the sweater on my lap and sobbed softly.

"Sorry to intrude. It's me, Travis."

I looked up in surprise that he of all people would come down here looking for me. "What do you want?" I didn't mean to be rude, but I was not in a friendly frame of mind.

"I heard you run out and thought I would come to see if you were alright. I can leave if you want me to." He whispered.

"No, sit? I need someone to talk to. Everyone else is busy doing other things. I don't want to bother them." I wanted to ask him about what happened with Edward, but I knew I shouldn't bring that up. I decided to just sit here for a while until I could figure out my next plan. I didn't really feel like talking, but I wanted company. Travis was a rather quiet guy. He wouldn't mind just sitting here in silence with me.

"Ok." He took a seat on the sand beside me and gently rubbed my back in small circles to calm me down. "I'm here for you, Rosalie."

--

The end

OOH cliff hanger! PLEASE REVIEW?? Yall know I love the reviews ;) This chapter is for Michelle and Willow. They inspired it.


	8. Powered Persuasion

Those Were the Days – Powered Persuasion

T – to be safe

Stephenie owns everything, and should own a pair of pink chucks cuz they will only make her cooler than she already is lol.

--

FIRST! A note from me…

I'd like to apologize for not replying to any of your reviews this week. You's know I ALWAYS reply to people when they send review. Something has gone wrong with my email and I had no idea the story was put up, and I had no idea anyone had reviewed it or read it because I did not receive one email or notice from about the story like I have been getting nearly every single day for over 2 months now. I went to the site and saw your awesome reviews up there and how much that chapter was unexpected and really good and how much you all loved it! THANK YOU! I will reply to your reviews from there from now on, because my email is insane lol. Ill shut up now so yus can read about Travis and all that ;)

--

I can't believe any of this just happened. I feel like the air has been sucked out of my lungs. It doesn't matter that I don't have to breathe to function, the air in my life, my Angel Rosalie has left me and it's entirely my own fault. I sat on the steps in the house trapped between floors unable to focus on anything besides the rings in my hand. The scene I had just witnessed in the bathroom continued to play in a loop over and over in my head. Each time, it seemed to make me more and more nauseous.

"What's going on, Emmett? I'm trying to tune everything out, as it isn't my business, but I feel like something huge has just happened. Something horrible." Edward stood on the steps at my feet watching me closely. "Are those Rose's rings?"

I nodded in reply. "She threw them at me and took off. Hey, maybe you can help me?" I looked up at him for a moment. "I'm going to think of something and you tell me what you make of it."

"What? Alright, whatever you want." Edward looked at me for a moment while I replayed the scene in my head once again. "NO! No, stop it right now. Why are you showing me this? She's your wife and my sister. I don't want to see that! You're as bad as Tanya with her wicked fantasies." He growled and turned to leave.

I grabbed him by the elbow to stop him. "You think that was Rosalie too? I'm not crazy?"

"Crazy? No. A horny, over-sexed peeping Tom, yes. Of course it was Rosalie, who else would you be looking at that way? I really didn't need to see that, Emmett. Honestly." He looked so sick he could have turned green.

"You have to tell Rosalie that. Right now! Come on, before she does something crazy or decides to never come back." I grabbed him by his arm to run down the stairs, but he shook me off. "Come on, Edward. My marriage is at stake."

"Tell me exactly what happened. Who did you think was in that shower? It wasn't Rosalie you were looking at?" he whispered so only he and I could hear.

"I thought it was Rosalie the entire time. I swear Edward. I have no reason to look at another woman. When I came out of the bathroom, Rosalie was in the hallway. It was Tanya in the shower. If I had known, you have to believe me, I would have run straight out of there and found Rose to apologize."

"Tanya? Did she know you were there?"

"I didn't think she knew I was there, but I guess she did. She wanted me to see her. She kind of said she knew I was there after Rose left. You have to tell Rose what you saw in my head, Edward. It's the only way to convince her I didn't intentionally look at Tanya."

"I'll do what I can, but you made a real mess of things, Emmett. You should never have gone into that bathroom." He whispered and followed me down the stairs.

--

"Do you love your husband, Rosalie?" Travis was sitting beside me on the creek bank trying to comfort me after what had just happened. I didn't feel like talking, but he was being so kind to sit with me for so long, I thought I should be kind in return.

"I love Emmett more than anything on this Earth. I also hate him for what he did." I whispered between sobs. "I don't know what to do. I feel absolutely sick about it."

"Tanya didn't mean any harm. She was just washing up. She said she didn't know he was even there, right? Emmett is a man. We do stupid things sometimes. Do you think you could ever forgive him?" Travis's voice was very calming. The sobbing had subsided and my vision was beginning to focus again. I couldn't cry real tears, but when I was upset, my vision became blurry and distorted.

"I don't know, Travis. It hurts so bad. My whole body hurts." I pulled my knees in tighter to my chest and rocked back and forth slowly. Travis had stopped rubbing my back and wrapped one of his long arms around me. I was so upset, I didn't even think of pushing him away. I never was the kind of girl who wanted hugs or physical contact to improve her mood, but now was one of the rare times I needed it. I tried to block the whole world out and disappear, but Travis edged his way through somehow. Edward would take Emmett's side and call me irrational, and I couldn't ask my parents for support in this situation, as I was technically a grown up. I didn't trust Irina or Tanya, especially Tanya, for a split second. I needed someone beside me, and Travis was it.

I turned my head to look at him for a moment and I realized I never had taken the time to really see what he looked like. I felt almost guilty for ignoring him so often and taking his presence for granted. He had blondish hair that was slicked back on the sides with hair cream, leaving the top slightly puffy. His eyes were yellow, so I knew he wasn't hungry at the moment and he had very well groomed eyebrows. His nose was slim, much like Carlisle's and he had a perfect set of teeth behind a wide pair of lips that curled up into a slight smile. "You're thinking about a question you want to ask. I can see it in your eyes, Rosalie." He whispered, looking right at me. Travis had a very nice voice, as well. I had never paid any attention, as he hardly ever spoke to anyone besides Irina.

My eyes were locked on his when I answered. "Yes. I won't ask it, though. I promised I wouldn't." I whispered back. His stare was so intense, I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. It was similar to the stare Edward tried to use on me several times a day; only I was immune to that one.

"You promised who? Edward? Is it about what you saw upstairs?" I nodded silently. "I think I can answer you're question, Rosalie." He kept his eyes locked on mine until he was so close he could whisper directly into my ear. "I'm not gay, but there's no harm in being curious, is there? You can be curious too, Rose. I know you've only ever been with one man, but there's so much more to learn if you open yourself up to another." His voice had so much intensity to it, I couldn't move or argue what he was saying. I felt his lips moving across my jaw toward my mouth, but all I could do was close my eyes and be still. Was he right? Emmett could be curious and watch a strange woman in the shower. Why couldn't I spend time with someone else too?

--

"Hi, Edward. Is Tanya done in the shower? I need to use it after her." Irina had been sitting on the back porch reading a book as Edward and I went past her to find Rosalie. "Where are you going? Are you looking for Rosalie?"

"Yeah, do you know which way she went? I need to speak with her." I answered and stuffed the rings into my pocket.

"She went down that way toward the creek. Travis and I saw her go, so I sent him to talk with her. I would have gone myself, but she and I don't get along too well. Travis is good at talking to people when they're upset about something." She shrugged and closed her book to go inside.

"Travis is down there with her?" Edward asked. "Come on, we need to hurry." He mumbled and pushed me toward the trees. We ran halfway to the creek before I stopped him.

"What's the rush? Do you think Travis would hurt her somehow? You didn't seem to be in a hurry until Irina mentioned him." I asked.

"Travis has an ability. It's not like my mind reading, or Carlisle's resistance. I'm not even sure what to call it. He's extremely persuasive. Extremely sexually persuasive." He grumbled and tried to keep walking, but I stopped him again.

"How…how would you know about something like that? I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but how do you know it's a sexual persuasion he has going on? That sounds a little crazy." He looked very bothered by my question, but I wasn't going to let him walk any further without explaining himself.

"What I am going to tell you will never under any circumstances be repeated, ever. Do you understand me?" I nodded and waited for him to continue. "I was alone with Travis and feeling rather down about the situation with Tanya. He stood beside me and looked at my eyes in the mirror in my room. I looked back at his, and I couldn't stop what he was doing. I couldn't read his mind or think of anything except for him and how badly I wanted him."

"Him? Wait, what? You wanted…Travis? And he…wanted you? But you're not gay. Are you?" I was absolutely shocked at this news. This had to be what Rose was keeping from me all day. "Is Travis gay? I don't understand." I took a step back from him in utter confusion.

"Neither one of us is Gay, Emmett. Travis seems to like taking advantage of people when they're upset about something and using their sadness to feed his ability. He saw how down I was when we were talking and used his powers to attract me to him sexually." It took me a long moment to process what he was explaining to me. I know I'm not very bright, but when I finally understood. I growled and took off at a full run toward the creek. That jerk was going to take advantage of my wife and I wasn't about to stand by and allow that to happen.

--

The end

OOH another cliff hanger!! Thanks again to everyone who read this and reviewed! I'm so sorry for all the PM's and lack of replies to the last chapter! Please keep reviewing! Hopefully my email will begin working again soon!! ;)


	9. Red Handed

Those Were The Days – Red Handed

T to be safe

Stephenie owns it all.

--

"Emmett! Wait! You don't know what's going on down there! For all you know they could just be talking or something." Edward was trying to calm me down and talk some reason into me, but it wasn't going to work. If this guy was powerful enough to make Edward think he was falling for him, he was powerful enough to do something horrible to my Angel. She didn't have her rings on any longer, but she was still my wife.

"No! He's done. I'm telling Irina and they're all going back to Alaska before noon. It might just be two of them going back, because so help me Edward, if I find him with his hands on my wife, I will rip him to shreds myself!" I growled. Never in my life or afterward had I felt this much rage. Not even to that poor man I killed years ago for grabbing Rosalie. That hatred was blind and inflicted because I was new and couldn't control myself. The hatred I felt now was fully known and I could control it if I chose to, but I didn't want to do anything at this moment except rip Travis's arms off and beat him to death with them.

--

"Don't forget what I said, Rosalie. I'm here for you." I heard the words coming from Travis's mouth, but my head was so foggy I couldn't process what was happening. He moved away, leaving me with a sudden feeling of emptiness. I remembered this feeling, it was the same feeling I had a short while ago when…_oh, Emmett. What have I done? Oh no._ I thought to myself. I placed my hand over my lips remembering the last few minutes as if they were a dream.

"YOU! What did you do to my wife? If you don't tell me the truth, I will kill you with my bare hands!" Emmett flew out of the bushes behind us and grabbed Travis up by his collar. Emmett slammed him against a tree trunk and held him there screaming and growling at the top of his lungs. Edward was there too, crouched in front of me looking into my eyes. He held a finger up to his lips telling me to be quiet. "TALK NOW!" Emmett growled again, causing me to jump.

"He didn't do anything, Emmett." Edward answered. "Let him go." He leaned forward and whispered something into my ear before helping me to my feet. I slowly came back to my senses and looked around at Edward, Emmett, and Travis who was struggling against the tree. Travis had done something, I was sure of it. Why was Edward covering for him? He was covering for me too. I was involved in what happened, just as much as Travis.

"Edward, why are you-" He cut me off and shook his head seriously.

"I think you and Emmett need to have a long talk. I saw his thoughts, Rose. He didn't know it was Tanya in that shower. He thought it was you. He feels absolutely sick about the whole thing. Tanya knew what was happening all along. If you want to blame anyone, blame her, but you and Emmett need to talk. Neither one of you has done anything wrong." He spoke the last sentence so he was absolutely clear in every way.

"If I find out you've done anything to her, I will kill you. Don't forget that." Emmett growled and let Travis down. Edward took Travis by the arm and led him back toward the house. "Rose? Please look at me? I can't bear this any longer. Please look at me?" Emmett whispered and tried to take my hand. I pulled it away again and walked down to the water to look at my own reflection.

"I don't look like her. How can you say I look like that home wrecker?" I whispered and tried to find the strength inside me to let the whole thing go. I was just as bad as he was. My memory was coming back and I was sure I had let Travis kiss me. If anything, I was worse. I didn't just look at someone else, I felt someone else's lips on my own. Travis had used some kind of power against me, but Edward lied for the both of us. If he hadn't, Travis would have been destroyed and I would most likely be sleeping alone for the rest of eternity.

"You don't look like her. That shower door made her look exactly like you. All I saw was my gorgeous, blonde wife who had told me she was going to take a shower. Your robe was on the counter with your slippers when I walked in." He stood behind me and whispered. "I should have thought things through a little better, but I had no reason to think it was anyone but you. Please? Forgive me? I'm so, so endlessly sorry."

I turned to face him, and it took every ounce of power in my body to look up at his face. _If you want to blame anyone, blame her._ Edward was right. I needed to blame someone for causing all this drama. Tanya seemed like a good person to start with. "I don't know what to say, Emmett. How would you feel if you saw me all wet coming out of the bathroom while Travis or Edward was in there? You wouldn't like that one bit either. I never should have left you alone with her in the house."

"Do you still love me, Angel?" he whispered and took a step toward me.

"I never stopped loving you for a second. I hate what you saw, but I can't change that. Oh, Emmett." I sobbed and put my hands over my face in frustration. His arms were around me in an instant, protecting me from my own emotions and memories. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Angel. I am sorry. I really am. If there was anything I could do to fix this, I would."

I paused for a second when the idea hit me, but I pushed it away. It was silly and so unimportant right then. I would bring it up later at a better time. Emmett would like it, but now wasn't the best time for my silly ideas. "Let's go home? Please?"

--

I walked Rose back to the house and saw Carlisle and Esme in the living room whispering to each other. They had seemed to make up from the earlier argument and were looking into each other's eyes like teenagers once again.

I heard a woman's scream followed buy a male voice protesting from the top of the stairs. "You promised! You said you would never use it on anyone but me!" It was Irina and she was fighting with Travis.

"I just wanted to tell you the truth, before you found out from someone else. I can't control it like I thought I could! Just stop and listen?" I pushed Rosalie behind me to protect her from what was coming. I could hear Travis and Irina coming closer to the top of the stairs and I had the feeling someone or something was about to come down hard. "Irina, NO!"

I heard Travis let out a bloodcurdling scream before the sound of tearing fabric filled the living room. "LIAR! How could you embarrass me this way?" In a second, Travis was rolling down the stairs into the living room, minus one arm.

"Stop it this instant! I will not have this in my house, do you hear me Irina! Whatever happened is between the two of you, but it will not be resolved in my living room! Take it outside, NOW!" Esme screamed up the stairs to her as she pushed Travis toward the front door. "Oh, dear. You kids are going to be the death of me, I swear. Out you go!"

I looked back over my shoulder to Rose who shrugged and peeked under my arm to see what was happening. Irina stalked down the stairs looking angrier by the second. She mumbled an apology to Esme before stomping out the door. This was going to be good and I didn't want to miss a second of it. I walked out onto the porch with Rose and was soon joined by Edward and Tanya. "What's going on?" Rose whispered.

"Irina knew about Travis and his powers of persuasion, but he promised never to use it on anyone as long as they were together." Tanya explained, "after using his abilities on Edward, trying to use them on Esme, and then going after Rosalie, he felt guilty and wanted to confess. Irina didn't want to hear it. She was devastated and she's not the one to take a broken heart lightly."

"Esme? What did he do to Esme?" I nearly yelled.

"He was flirting with her in the kitchen and Carlisle caught them. That's what the argument was really about. Nothing happened. Esme was just flattered by Travis's complements on her clean kitchen and Carlisle felt a little jealous about it."

The whole time we were chatting on the porch, Irina and Travis were having a battle to the end down in the yard. She had torn off his other arm, so he was nearly defenseless, and was working on his remaining limbs one by one. "For God sake, Irina, finish him off already? I can't bear to hear his thoughts any longer." Edward growled. Irina pushed Travis into the woods where we could no longer see them, but we could hear the destruction quite clearly. After several long moments full of screaming, thumping, tearing, and growling, the woods went silent. "He's done." Edward whispered and looked at the ground around his feet. If I didn't know better, I'd say a part of him was sad to see Travis destroyed that way.

"Let's all go in. Irina will take care of his remains." Tanya sighed and went back into the living room. We all followed her to our own bedrooms to be alone and morn the loss of Travis in our own ways.

--

"You look sad, honey. What's wrong?" Emmett was sitting on the edge of our bed playing with one of my silk scarves in his gigantic hands. "Talk to me? Is it about Travis?"

"No, he's gone. I'm trying to let all that go for now. It's just been a really long day. I'm still trying to figure out a way to fix what I did. I feel awful about it, really." He sighed and looped the scarf around my waist to pull me closer.

"I have a way you can fix it." I smirked and took a seat on his lap. His chain was sparkling in the light from the lamp on the table nearby, so I picked it up and played in it with my fingers sweetly. "I think you'll like it."

"Really? What can I do for you miss? I'd love to clear this mess up." He smiled back and played in my hair.

I leaned forward and purred in his ear with as much innocence as possible. "After seeing all that fighting, I feel all dirty again. I think I need another shower."

"Another shower? That sounds interesting." He purred back. "How would I be involved with that? I can't fix what I did wrong if I'm not involved."

"It's a pretty big bathroom with a nice roomy steam shower. I think you can figure it out." I tugged on his ear with my teeth before getting up from his lap and walking down the hall carrying a towel, my pink fuzzy robe and matching slippers.

--

The end!

No cliffy this time, so nobody will get mad lol. HAPPY 4th of JULY to my USA readers :) This section of the story will be wrapped up soon, then were off to the fifties and an expanding family, wonder who that could be?? Hmmm, lol. HAPPY WEEKEND!


	10. April 1951

Those Were the Days – April 1951

T to be safe

Stephenie owns everything, including the cure to the hex someone has put on me in the past few weeks.

--

"Goodbye Tanya. Irina." Carlisle was watching me like a hawk. We had gotten into a huge argument about the girls leaving. I refused to go out and give them a proper send-off, but Carlisle insisted that I should be respectful and go through with it. I repeated in my mind over and over while we were parting ways that they were leaving and not coming back for quite a long time. I hugged each of them, barely touching Tanya's evil, home wrecking body at all in the process. I was slightly more sincere with my farewell to Irina, as Travis was the reason for all of her anger at the moment and she had destroyed him herself. I was sure she felt badly about the whole situation. Tanya on the other hand, wouldn't care a lick if she were in Irina's place. Carlisle insisted also that I would forgive her in time and forget the entire situation, but I disagreed.

The girls left on foot, just as they had arrived. And I was quite happy to see them go. I made it clear to Emmett that he was not to hug anyone other than me, and if he would like to offer a handshake that should be more than enough to say 'so long.' Even then I kept an eye on Tanya. Edward seemed indifferent about the whole visit. I thought he might be at least a little sad to see Tanya go, but he didn't seem to care either way. Once they were out of sight, he went back into the house to read in the living room.

--

Time is the one thing you can always count on to mess with your mind. When you can't sleep, I mean can't sleep as in it is an absolute impossibility, time kind of runs together like pouring different colored liquids into a funnel. One day it's Easter and the next it's Christmas. I always had a hard time remembering what day it was. Sometimes I would ask Rosalie four or five times and it really got on her nerves after a while. For Christmas in 1950, she bought me the most amazing wristwatch. It was a silver Rolex watch that had a little dial on one side that showed the first three letters of the day of the week. I felt horrible for getting her a television set. She hated it with a passion. The next day, I made a call to Harry Winston in New York and all was forgiven. She wore those ruby earrings nonstop for weeks. Even to church.

That year we had moved to a little town called Deer River in Northern Minnesota. We had a smaller house just across the road from the rest of the family, who still preferred a five-bedroom mansion for only three people. Rose and I had two bedrooms between us, and two bathrooms, once again, so she still had a room for herself and a private shower, while I shared my bedroom with her and had my own smaller shower at the back of the house. Despite my begging, she refused to let me put the television in the bedroom, even though I was certain it would get much better reception upstairs. She called it repulsive and distracting and the idea of staring at a little box for hours on end bothered her. "It's going to melt your brain, Emmett! Don't sit so close to it. That can't be healthy." She would grumble and pull me away from the picture.

"I'm a vampire, Rose. It's not going to hurt me." I would argue back and return to my little magic box. I knew she would grow to like it eventually. Edward and I went away on a camping trip for a few days and when we returned, I found her and Esme rolling on the floor in hysterics to an episode of I Love Lucy. "What are you doing?" I snuck up behind her and whispered.

"Nothing! Esme was watching it!" She tried to deny enjoying it, but after that she was much more forgiving about the television being in the house. Somehow it brought about a sense of family unity. Rose and Esme loved their Lucy, I had my Superman show and Howdy Doody, Edward even began to enjoy coming over to watch with us.

"Why do you like it so much, Edward?" I asked him one night.

"I think it's because I can watch people and I have no idea what they're thinking for a change. I can't read their thoughts through the television," he shrugged. "I'd like to get one for myself, but Carlisle doesn't like it. He says it's a waste of time. I told him one day they're going to make a show about a hospital or doctors that will be wildly popular and he's going to be a huge fan."

"What did he say to that?" I asked him.

"He laughed and said nobody likes going to the doctor. Why would people ever watch it on television?"

One day, I came down from the bedroom to watch an episode of Superman I had been waiting to see for weeks. I sat down in my favorite spot on the living room floor and turned the knob. Nothing happened. I turned it again and again and still nothing happened. "Rose!" I shrieked in panic. "Rose its broken!"

"What? What's the matter? What's broken?" she flew down the stairs in a panic of her own looking around wildly. "The television?"

"Yes! I went to flip it on and nothing's happening. Look!" I flipped the knob back and forth and still blackness was across the screen. I was devastated. Superman had met his kryptonite. I kept flipping the knob like a man possessed, but nothing would work.

"You're having a tantrum because the TV is broken? UGH! I thought something important was broken, like the car or the Rolex I bought you. Stop doing that! We can go to town and order another one. Let me get my purse." She stomped back upstairs, but I just sat there lost for words. We lived in such a remote part of the country, even more remote than Hoquiam, that we didn't have an appliance store in town. We had a Sears and Roebuck catalog store. That meant that if you wanted something besides clothes, dishes, or house wares, you had to order it from a big thick book. That could mean it would be weeks before I would see another television program. Rose came down about an hour later after 'getting her purse' and dragged me out to the car.

We didn't have the Phaeton any longer. Rose said it was too old fashioned and wouldn't go past sixty miles per hour anyway. When we decided to move to Minnesota, she wanted something newer and flashier, so she bought herself a Pontiac, Catalina; red, of course, with a convertible top. It was beyond freezing most of the year in Deer Falls, but she wouldn't buy the car unless the dealer could get her a convertible. "Get a grip, Emmett. See, this is why I didn't want you getting so stuck on that thing. You look like your dog died."

Town was now an hour away instead of thirty minutes, and the ride was torture for me. "I hate long car rides." I whined and played with the buttons on the radio. "Why are we pulling over?" She moved the car to the side of the highway and stopped the engine.

"First, the driver picks the music. Second, shotgun shuts his pie hole." She waved a finger at me in a stern warning. "Stop whining or I'll take you right back home."

"Yes ma'am." I smirked at her and latched onto her gloved finger with my teeth. "I like it when you talk like a teacher. It's sexy."

"UGH! Naughty boy." She smirked in return and continued to drive to town.

People were everywhere today, despite the gloomy weather. It was flurrying in April. I would never understand how it could snow after Easter. We walked arm in arm through the small town toward the Sears when Rose saw a group of children playing across the street in a small park. She pulled me along with her and stood by the small chain link fence watching them swing back and forth and chase each other around the monkey bars. "Why are we here, Rose? Do you know any of these people?" I whispered.

"No. I just wanted to look." She whispered back and had a vice-like grip on my arm. The dreamy look in her eyes told me she wanted to do more than just look at the kids. She wanted one for herself, to raise like Esme. An older woman walked past us and smiled to her friend, saying something about the nice couple that looked like newly weds who would be starting a family soon. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know the old woman was talking about us. "We can go now." Rose stated matter-of-factly. She turned and pulled me back towards the Sears store.

A few hours later, we left the store, still without a new television, but loaded down with bags of clothes and things for the new house. My TV was on special order from New Jersey and would be ready for pick-up in two weeks. "Why do we need so much junk, Rose? Do we really need potholders? Honestly?"

"It's not junk. Better Homes and Gardens just put out a special issue about what it means to be a wife in the new decade. After the war, so many new things were invented to help women around the house. I'm a nineteen fifties wife now, and so is Esme, so I bought her some things, too." I followed her obediently down the sidewalk and nearly crashed into her when she stopped in front of a pet store to look in the window. "Take these to the car. I'll be right there."

--

I couldn't help myself. When I was depressed, I impulse shopped. It was my one and only drug. I told myself we would only go to Sears to order the stupid television so Emmett would be happy and come out of his comatose state on the living room floor. I walked out of there with four pairs of shoes, a few new dresses, some underclothes to surprise Emmett, and a whole assortment of kitchen gadgets for Esme so she could bake for the Women's League of Deer Falls. The fifties seemed like a very promising decade as far as home technology was concerned.

I didn't realize how depressed I really was until I saw all those children in the park. Their tiny snow boots, and hats with little earflaps just got to me. I thought I was having a mid-life crisis of some sort for a while. I would be thirty-five years old by now if I were a human. Edward went through something similar when he realized he would be forty if he were human. Women my age without children were either nuns, midwives, or doomed to a life of unhappiness and misery. When meeting older women, like those at Esme's Women's League, the question was always how many, not do you have any children. I was fortunate to pass for twenty years of age, so I could answer convincingly that Emmett and I had plenty of time for children. That didn't stop their gossiping behind my back.

Once we arrived home from shopping, I carried the bags to the kitchen to sort out my purchases. One in particular stole my heart. In the window of Louie's Pet shop was a beagle with long floppy ears. On those darling ears were two tiny pink bows that matched the pink collar around her neck. She was full grown and house trained already, which was perfect for me. When I walked her back to the car, even Emmett fell in love with her. "I know you're going to say no, but I had to Emmett. I just had to."

He took one look at the little dog and smiled. "It's okay. I don't mind her at all. Does this mean I get to drive home?"

"Yes, you can drive." I relented and climbed into the passenger seat with my new baby and three bags of her belongings. "I think I'll call her…Pinky." As we pulled up to the stoplight, a strange woman walked toward our car from the sidewalk, but stopped suddenly at the curb. She wasn't dressed very well and seemed a bit off. It was freezing out, but she wasn't wearing a scarf or gloves. I guessed she was just down on her luck. That was the phrase my father used when I was a little girl to make poor people seem less scary. Down on their luck. Emmett hit the gas when the light changed, and as I was trained from birth, I put the poor woman out of my mind and focused on the pretty little dog in my lap who was licking my face with joy.

--

"Edward! Come see what we bought!" I yelled across the road to him as we pulled up. I climbed out and went to say hi as he was crossing the street. "Bad news though. The TV is broken, so we went to town and ordered a new one. But…Rose bought us a dog! It's named Pinky! Look happy about it, she's been in a weird mood lately." I thought the last part in my head, so only he would hear it.

"Oh! It's lovely." Edward forced out a smile and held the dog at arms length when Rosalie presented him with her new pet. "Here, take it back now." He handed it back and scowled at the animal when Rose wasn't looking. "So the television isn't working? Rose is good at fixing things. She didn't have a look at it?" He asked.

"She's good with cars. Appliances aren't her strong suit, so we just went and bought a new one." I shrugged. "What are we going to do with no television, Edward?" I whispered.

"Watch the Rose and Pinky show, I suppose." He laughed at Rose and how she treated the dog like her own baby. "Does it do any tricks?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure she even knows her name yet." Rose smiled and made goo-goo eyes at her dog. "Pinky! Pinky, sit!" The dog just looked at her in confusion.

"A hundred bucks says its back in the pet shop by Friday." Edward bargained.

"I say two weeks. You're on." I shook his hand and went into the house to relax from our long day of shopping.

THE END

AHH, so long with no updates, please don't hurt me! Seriously, in the past 2 weeks, I dumped a guy, had 2 beehives living in my screen door, had my car mirror busted out by that dumped guy, sliced my toe open, and got food poisoning. It's been a rough couple of weeks! So here's your update! I hope you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW??


	11. Sunday Morning

Those Were the Days- Sunday Morning

T to be safe

Steph owns everything and everyone including the answer to the meaning of life at this point lol.

--

"Will you miss me?" His smile was so childlike and innocent. I nearly pinched his cheeks.

"Don't be silly. Of course I will. You show those Grizzlies who's in charge out there." I smiled back and kissed him goodbye. Honestly, I was sad to see him go, but I knew it was necessary. Now that the television was broken, Carlisle had taken it upon himself to organize a hunting trip for the men in the family. He wanted the family to 'get back to nature' and 'remember the beauty of the earth.'

I didn't want to go hunting, and had no need, as I had gone out only a few days ago and found a few elk for myself. Esme decided to stay behind with me and let the boys have their own adventure. On Sunday, a few days after the boys had gone; she and I put on our best church clothes and headed out for a service. She had been to the church nearly every Sunday since we moved to Minnesota, but I found myself drifting slowly from the ritual. A combination of a whiney, reluctant husband and overly gossipy church ladies kept me in bed most Sundays recently.

"It isn't so bad, if you just tune them out, Rose. Try to concentrate on the service and the pastor and put those other women out of your mind. It will do you some good to get out and socialize." Esme encouraged me with a pep talk while we rolled toward town in my red Catalina. The moment we parked the car, the stares began along with the whispering and fake smiles. I greatly enjoyed going to church, but it would be much better if the people there weren't so awful. It felt like high school again.

"Where is her husband? Doesn't he come to church? So pretty, already married, too, and so young. She can't be any older than eighteen. Such an odd family. The father is quite handsome, as well. A doctor, I heard. Starting at the hospital soon. They've been in town so long, but he hasn't been working? I wonder why?" So many asinine questions; why couldn't they just ask us? We were standing right here. I picked up on another set of questions being asked, but in the crowd outside of the church before the service, I couldn't place where they were coming from. "It can't be. I'm seeing something wrong. A car? Those clothes? Going to church? It doesn't make any sense." The voice was very faint, but definitely female, coming from somewhere in the distance outside the crowd, which was now filing in through the doors.

"Rosalie? It's time to go in." Esme smiled and took my arm to guide me inside. "Smile dear? You look worried about something."

"I'm fine. I just miss Emmett." I shrugged. It wasn't a total lie. I did miss him.

--

"What do you think the girls are doing back home, Edward?" We had found a good-sized clearing in the forest in the depths of the deserted state park we were hunting in. I wasn't sure exactly where we were at the moment. Edward had said northern Michigan, but it felt like Alaska. There was melting snow in patches around the trees which blocked the sun from the earth like a canopy and the temperature couldn't be much above freezing. Carlisle was about a mile away, gone after an enormous moose for lunch while Edward and I stood in the clearing soaking up the little bit of sun we could find. "Do you think they're bored?"

"Bored? No. It's Sunday. They've probably gone to Church or out for a drive. Rosalie used to adore Sundays. It was her favorite day to dress up and show off. I wonder why she's stopped doing that so often." He gave me a quick look with one of his raised eyebrows and closed his eyes again while he looked into the sun.

"I think it's me. I keep telling her I don't want to go. She can go without me. I just find it all so dull and pointless. I'm not into religion the way she is." I let out a long sigh and kicked at the grass around my feet.

"Is Rosalie into Superman?" He asked.

"No, she hates it. Says it's childish" I chuckled.

"But she watches it with you, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"You enjoy hunting in the rain and getting muddy. Does Rosalie?" he asked another question.

"I do enjoy it, but she hates to get dirty."

"But she still goes with you if you ask her, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Do you see my point yet, or shall I go on?" He looked over at me with a disapproving expression. "Rosalie would probably do whatever you ask of her, if you ask her the right way. I think you could use a healthy dose of religion. Do you understand what I'm saying, Emmett?"

"I should suck it up and go to church when we get back?"

"In your best suit with your best I-Love-My-Wife smile." He laughed as a cloud passed overhead and took away all the warmth we had been feeling on our skin. It was the first time in months I had felt the sun, and I missed it.

--

"The sun is out, Rose. Do you have an extra hat in the car?" Esme whispered as the service ended. It was still so cold out, we were wearing long dress coats and thick stockings that blocked the sun from our arms and legs, and gloves over our hands, but our faces and necks were exposed and that was a hazard. "I thought the clouds would be around until this evening. I hadn't thought about it clearing early."

"I have my hat, but you aren't covered and I don't have an extra one." I tried to think quickly of a way around this problem. "Wait here? I have an idea." I made my way out to the car, trying to avoid being trapped into any long-winded conversations with the older women. Once I was safely in the car, I took off my wide-brimmed sun hat and looked out the window. "Excuse me? Mrs. Foreman?"

"Oh? Yes, Dear?" An older, plump little woman who I knew was always one of the last women to leave the church was standing nearby, admiring my Catalina. "What a lovely vehicle. Such a bright shade of red."

"Thank you, ma'am. My mother, Esme is looking for you inside. She wanted to speak with you about the Bingo tournament coming up in a few weeks. She would like to volunteer her time." I smiled sweetly, knowing Esme would want to throttle me for forcing her to speak with Mrs. Foreman about something as silly as Bingo. Esme needed a hat, however, and I was not able to bring it to her myself.

"She is? Well that is wonderful. It's so nice to see your family becoming involved with our functions." She would have gone on indefinitely if I hadn't cut her off.

"She's waiting in the entryway to see you. She asked me to bring this hat in for her. Could you take it?" I gave her my best friendly, innocent church girl smile and passed the hat through the window toward her. She took it with no problem. "Thank you so much."

"Not a problem, Dear." She smiled and looked the car over once more before going back inside the church. That was when I heard that same female voice in the distance. This time a deep, southern male drawl accompanied it.

"It's not the right time and I still think I'm wrong, somehow," the female voice whispered.

"You're never wrong. I trust what you saw. If they're as different as you say, then this isn't weird or strange for them at all." The male voice sounded so comforting and confident. I had no idea what he was talking about, but whatever it was, I believed he was correct.

"But…only two? There should be five. I saw five. I've been wrong about things before. Stop doing that? I like feeling uncertain sometimes. It keeps me on my toes." The female voice giggled, but I still could see no one out of place or anyone to match the voices anywhere in my field of vision.

"Thank you, Dear. I was worried I would be stuck in there alone until nightfall." Esme climbed into the car and laid the hat on the back seat. "It's a good thing you parked under a shady tree. You look worried. Do you want to sit here until another cloud passes?" She asked, rubbing my shoulder to get my attention.

"Do you hear them, Esme?" I silently mouthed the words to her out of pure caution. "Vampires, a young, high-pitched female and a deep southern male? I could have sworn they were talking about us."

"Here?" she paused for a moment and tried to listen. "I don't hear anyone except the people nearby. We should go then. We don't want to attract attention." She looked around the parking lot casually as I reversed the car and pulled out onto the road toward home. "Wait, I have a box in the trunk I need to drop off at the second-hand store." She remembered.

I left the church lot and rolled slowly through town toward Calder's Thrift-store. Esme took her box of old clothes inside while I waited in the car a few feet up the block. The clouds had come back for the time being, so she had no problems avoiding the sun during the short walk. I fixed my makeup in the car mirror and noticed an odd girl across the street. She was the same girl that I had seen a few days before when Emmett and I had gone shopping. She was in the same old clothes and was staring at me once again. She caught me looking back this time and turned her head quickly. A very tall, slender man in equally tattered clothing came around the corner and seemed to be having a conversation with her, but their lips were barely moving and I couldn't hear them, as they were too far across the intersection.

I looked away, toward the store to see if Esme was coming out, but she was nowhere to be found. The strange couple in dirty clothes was crossing the street and walking toward me, but they moved around the car and into the shop where Esme was doing business. She emerged a few moments later with a blank expression.

"Did you see those two people who went in there?" I asked as we drove away.

"Yes, but only for a moment. They went to the second floor as soon as they walked inside while I was way at the back. I looked up when I heard the bell. What about them, Dear? It's impolite to stare at the less fortunate, you know." She gave me a motherly tone, which I didn't like, but I let it go.

"The girl? I saw her the other day. She looked like she wanted to say something to me, but she didn't. Then just now she was across the street with that man. She was staring at me again with this odd look. Like she thought she knew me from somewhere, but I've never seen her before in my life." I shrugged.

"Maybe she's mistaken? Don't worry about it. She's probably just passing through, looking for a place to call home. Don't judge them, Rosalie. I can see it in your eyes. Just because they don't have designer dresses or drive Catalina cars doesn't make them bad people."

I decided she was right. I wouldn't think badly of them if they were poor, as I was raised to think. I was bred to believe people were poor because it was their own fault for making bad choices in life; that they deserved their own miserable circumstances. It was a very wrong way of thinking, I realized.

--

"What on earth is he doing?" Carlisle wondered. I could hear him on the bank of the river talking to Edward over my own whooping and hollering.

"Swimming." He answered.

"What would possess him to do such a thing? That water has to be nearly freezing cold. It's snowing, for Heaven's sake!" I hadn't noticed the snow. Despite it being mid-April, it was flurrying. Carlisle stood with his mouth open watching me. He was baffled by my sudden desire to jump in the river naked for no good reason.

"This is what he does. He says it gives him some kind of adrenaline rush. I've told him has no adrenaline in his body, but he only laughs and keeps doing it every time we hunt. He will get bored in a little while and come back to his senses. Don't worry." Edward chuckled and went off into the trees to hunt. I expected Carlisle to do the same, but he stood there watching me for a few more minutes. I had closed my eyes and began to float along in the river when I heard Edward yell. "Carlisle? No! What are you doing?"

There was a loud splash and I felt the cold water flush over my head, into my ears and nose. Carlisle had jumped into the river with me. Edward was still on the bank, unwilling to participate. "WOW! This is something. I've not done anything like this in over a century!" Carlisle shouted and splashed around in the icy water. "Edward? Won't you join us? It's fantastic!"

"Yeah! Don't be the odd man out! Drop your drawers and jump in!" I smiled and begged him to join. After a few minutes, I thought he had gone off to hunt once again, but he ran at full speed from the trees without a scrap of clothing on and did a cannonball into the river beside us. I was excited to have Carlisle and Edward around me this way. It made me feel less awkward and made them seem like a lot more fun. Carlisle was right. We did need to do more male bonding more often.

The end!

Hey! Good news, the hex is over I think. Bad news, the night after I posted that last chapter my car was totaled at 3am by a drunk driver while I was sleeping. Please don't drink and drive? If that guy knew when to hand over the keys, I would still have a car! Anyways, thanks for sticking with the story even when the updates are slow! PLEASE REVIEW!! ;)


	12. Welcome Home

Those Were the Days – Welcome Home

T to be safe

Stephenie owns everything including the next 9 days in exchange for our undying loyalty to her literary masterpieces ;)

--

"There's nothing here, Carlisle. Why don't we move on?" I couldn't help it any longer. I was beginning to whine from absolute boredom and hunger. While Edward and Carlisle picked off deer, bobcat, elk, moose, and other woodland creatures, I was determined to keep my hunger intact. We would find the bears. And I would eat them all. I had convinced myself of it.

"Fine, we will head back south. There were a lot of moose and mountain lion down there. Please, Emmett? Eat something? Soon?" Carlisle was becoming grumpy as well, and I knew that was my fault. I decided to shut my mouth for the time being and sleep in the bed I had made with my burning throat and dark-circled eyes. We had walked for maybe five miles more when I smelled it. Bears. Lots and lots of bears. I began to sing to myself as I turned from my position in line behind Carlisle and followed the intoxicating scent. "If you go out in the woods today, be sure of a big surprise."

"What's gotten into him? Is he delirious from hunger?" Carlisle whispered to Edward.

"If you go out in the woods today, you'd better go in disguise." I smiled evilly and licked my lips. I was getting closer.

"He's found the bears." Edward answered. I could hear him following me. Normally I would claim them all for myself, but the smell was so strong to me, there would plenty for all three of us. I rounded a bend near the base of a rock wall thirty feet high and saw the opening to the cave. It was the end of winter for them. They were hungrier than I was and not in the mood for a friendly encounter. Waking up from hibernation with empty stomachs and a crazed vampire in their midst was not going to brighten their day.

I thought to Edward, "I'm going to flush them out. Grab what you can. Save the biggest one for me." I left my coat, backpack and other pretend camping gear by a tree and rolled up my sleeves for battle. I could hear the bears inside the cave rolling around, snorting, and growling softly at each other while they competed for space. I was a small cave, only about twenty feet deep with a high ceiling. Practically crouched on my knees, I crept into the cave and took a count for Edward, who was listening to my thoughts outside. "Fourteen. No small ones. It's like…vegetarian vampire Christmas, Edward! Ready? On three. One, Two…" On three, I lunged at one of the snoozing bears and wrestled it easily to the ground. The others caught on to what was happening in an instant. Two of them turned on me while the rest ran for what they thought was the safety of the open forest. I took down the ones in the cave with no problem. They were sleepy and disoriented in the dark, which I had adjusted to easily.

I could hear Edward and Carlisle outside yelling, chasing the bears around for fun to rile them up. They weren't thirsty, but I was. After I finished off my first two bears, I left the cave and caught three more within the hour. Including one monstrous black bear that tried to run up a tree. He was so large and clumsy, and the tree so old and rotten, he tipped right over as the trunk snapped and fell into my arms. I lay in the grass afterward smiling and replaying the hunt over and over in my head with a full stomach. "Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic." I sang softly to myself.

"Now he just seems drunk, not delirious." Carlisle laughed at me, but I didn't mind. I was happy and having a great time with my brother and Dad.

--

"Esme? Esme, have you seen Pinky? Did you let her back inside?" I was peeking out the kitchen window of my house into the backyard for the dog. Emmett had a ten-foot by ten-foot area fenced in with chain link just for her, so she could go outside and not run away or get into trouble. "I can't see her."

Esme was in the living room reading a book. She answered, "No, the last time I saw her, she was out in her yard chewing one of Emmett's old boots."

"I'll go check on her." I went outback calling her name, but she wasn't in her yard. "Pinky? Pinky, where are you?" I called, thinking she may have jumped over the fence. I ran back inside in a panic searching for her. "Esme, she's not there. Pinky? Come out, now! Come to mommy!"

"I'll help you look. She's probably asleep in a laundry basket or something. I'm sure she's alright." Esme tried to calm me down, but it wasn't working. My dog, my baby was missing.

"Oh! Did she run away? I hope a car or something didn't hit her! Pinky!" I searched high and low for her, but she was nowhere to be found. I even had Esme go across the road to her and Carlisle's gigantic home to see if she had wandered to the wrong house. She wasn't there either.

About an hour later, after we still hadn't found the dog, the doorbell rang. "Are you expecting anyone, Rosalie?" Esme whispered. I shook my head no when she got up to answer it. "Well, hello."

"Umm, hello Miss, is this your dog?" I stood up from the couch in an instant and flew to the door. My jaw nearly hit the marble under my feet. The strange girl from town was standing there with my baby Pinky cradled in her arms. She was looking back and forth between Esme and I with a bizarre expression.

"Yes! Yes, she's mine. Thank you. Have a nice day." I took the dog back and held her tightly, kissing her little head over and over. I was so glad to have her back in one piece. "Esme, give her a reward or something?" I whispered and walked toward the kitchen. "Bad Pinky. Bad girl for running away." I mumbled into her tiny ears.

"Yes, I think a reward will do nicely." Esme moved to find her purse, but the girl stopped her.

"No, that won't be necessary." She answered quickly. I heard the familiar, deep male southern voice come from somewhere behind her.

"Ma'am? My name is Jasper and this is Alice. We've come to find you. You are the Cullen's, correct?" he asked politely. I suddenly felt very calm; yet curious as to how they knew of us and why they were here. "We don't want to cause any trouble."

"Right." The girl interrupted. "We're vampires, like you. May we come in?" Esme looked them over for a moment and stepped back to grant them access. I sent the dog upstairs and stood across the room from the odd couple with my arms folded. They had on different clothes now; slightly nicer ones, but still old and worn. The girl looked rail thin with a narrow face and a sharp eyes and nose. Her friend was very tall and lanky with a mess of blonde curly hair on top of his head. She didn't sit, but stood in front of the sofa fidgeting her hands and the ends of her sleeves while she tapped her foot. The man was the opposite, incredibly still and calm. "Well, my name is Alice and this is Jasper, like he said before. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Esme looked over at me, then back at the couple. "How did you find us? We've only just moved here a few months ago and we've told nearly no one of our new address. I'm Esme, by the way. And this is…"

"Rosalie. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle are away hunting." The girl answered quickly for Esme. How could she know all of this? Didn't we keep a low enough profile? "I'm sorry. That's a bad habit. See, I have these visions and I saw you and your whole…family and how you live differently. I came here to ask you for help. Not for me, but for Jasper." She looked up at his face with an adoring expression and rested a hand on his arm.

"What kind of help do you need? Is it financial? Spiritual? Carlisle was a priest at one time." I asked. What could they possibly need us for?

"I learned how to avoid killing humans from my visions of you. It's been much harder for Jasper. Neither of us wants to hurt people, but he's having a hard time staying on track." She spoke softly and held onto his arm while she smiled up at him. I could tell she had a strong emotional attachment to this man. "I was hoping you could teach him. Carlisle or Edward, maybe? They seem to be the most adapted to this…diet."

"It isn't easy to learn, Alice, was it? It takes time and patience." I answered.

Esme gave me a stern look over her shoulder that was a clear warning for me to watch my tone. "She's right. It's not for everyone. Tell me, how long has it been since you turned, Jasper?"

"Nearly a century, ma'am, but I'm afraid I've done some pretty horrible things in my time. I didn't just kill for food or survival. I was a soldier in an army in Mexico. I killed for power. I'm not sure I could make it a month on your regiment." He answered softly. "The longest I've been able to avoid humans is only two weeks and that's only because Alice wouldn't let me out of her sight for a moment." He looked down at his hat in his hands and I suddenly felt shameful somehow. Esme must have picked up on it; she turned and gave me another look, one of confusion.

"Excuse me? One of you is keeping something from us, I think." I took a few steps closer to them, still keeping my serious expression. "You? How did you do that?" I pointed to Jasper. "Since you walked in that door, my moods have been all over the place. I don't like that. How are you doing it?" I demanded.

"Rosalie, don't speak to our guests that way. You could ask him politely." Esme was stern with me, something she rarely expressed. I felt like I wanted to snap back at her, but something came over me and I felt overly calm. "What was that? I just felt that. Jasper?" She turned to the pair with the same confused expression I had. "Please explain yourself?"

"I think we should sit down. All of us." The small girl, Alice, seemed nervous and fidgety. Esme nodded and we all took seats around the living room. The new couple on the loveseat, Esme on the full couch and myself in Carlisle's reclining chair. "Jasper is a man of few words. Shall I explain, Jasper?" He nodded and she continued. "Jasper was in the Civil war as a soldier when he was human. He was a smooth talker and very well liked among the troops. He was incredibly persuasive. We believe he somehow carried that over with him after he died. He can shift people's moods. Watch? Jasper, think of something funny?" She asked. Jasper stared off into space for a moment while a smirk spread across his face.

Uncontrollably, and for no reason, Esme and I both busted into a fit of giggles. We looked at each other then to Jasper. "That's amazing! Oh, you're doing sad now. I don't like that so much." I pouted and looked at the floor. I felt as if there was a weight on my shoulders pulling me down, making me miserable. "Ok, stop please?"

"It comes in handy sometimes; others, not so much. I can feel what my prey is feeling and it takes a terrible toll on me mentally, ma'am. That's why your dog is alive right now."

"My dog? Pinky?" I nearly yelled. "What do you mean?" He looked incredibly ashamed of himself for some reason.

"I told you, I don't have much self control. I saw your dog jump the fence outside and when I tried to catch her and bring her back, I lost my senses and…Alice stopped me. I felt how scared the dog was and I imagined how horrible you would feel if we knocked on your door to tell you the sad news."

"Sorry about that. I gave him a good talking to about it. You can't go around eating puppies. It isn't right." Alice answered and rubbed his arm. "So, what do you think Mrs. Cullen? Will you try to help him?" I couldn't help but notice how confident she looked. She wasn't worried one bit. It was as if she knew Esme would say yes.

"Of course. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. We have plenty of room here. There are two empty bedrooms upstairs; one beside Edward's and one across the hall from that." Esme smiled. "I hope you don't mind sleeping apart? My husband is a bit old fashioned and until you're married, he would prefer it that way."

I was glad to see Esme wasn't bending the rules for our new friends. Not after all I had been through with Emmett sleeping on an entirely different floor from me until we were married. Alice smiled happily and hugged us both. "I already know which one I will take."

--

"We're almost home Emmett, just calm down back there." Edward grumbled. I was bored and restless and I missed my wife. I had enough of the bears and manly bonding. I wanted to smell hand cream and perfume and hear my Angel yell at me for putting wet towels on the floor. Edward pulled the truck into the driveway of the big house and I climbed out to open the garage for him. When I lifted the door up, he nearly had a stroke. "Uh oh."

"What is this? Is that my bookshelf? My clothes? Why are all of my things in the garage? Carlisle? Am I in trouble for something?" He jumped out of the truck and stared at all his worldly possessions piled neatly along the walls with his sofa in the center.

"Welcome home Edward! Emmett and Carlisle! It's so great to finally meet you all!" A high-pitched voice rang out from the narrow path by the front door. The tiny woman pranced over and wrapped each of us into a hug, leaving Edward for last. "I hope you don't mind, Edward? Your room had the best view. I just couldn't pass it up!"

"I want to be mad…but I can't. Why am I ok with this?" Edward looked absolutely stunned. "You're Alice and your friend inside the house is Jasper and he's keeping me from throttling you?" He repeated her thoughts out loud.

"It's true! You really can read my mind! Oh! I'm so excited. Welcome home, boys!" She smiled and bounced around like a little pixie. I had to wonder what Rosalie thought of having a new sister? I was looking forward to having a new brother. I was excited, but I wasn't sure Rose felt the same way.

--

The End…

Happy Thursday! I've decided that Thursday will be my new timeslot. So look for new chapters on Thursdays. ;) Hope you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW!!


	13. Girl Talk

Those Were the Days – Girl Talk

T to be safe

Stephenie owns the few brain cells I have left after chugging grande starbucks coffee to combat the drowzies from my allergy meds, and sitting next to an awful smelling pothead on the train this morning lol.

TOMORROW IS BREAKING DAWN DAY! WHOOO!! (this was put up at 1am Friday morning, sorry I missed the Thursday deadline ;)

--

Edward was trying very hard to be angry, but Jasper wouldn't let him. The five of us had convened in the driveway of Esme's house to stare at Edward's belongings. Carlisle had gone inside to avoid the fallout. "You, you're the reason I can't seem to wrap my hands around her throat." Edward groaned as Jasper walked toward him slowly. "All I keep hearing from you is _calm down, calm down_. I don't want to calm down! Stop doing that!" He was staring at Alice with his lips pressed together tight and looking very frustrated. It was about time someone could get under his skin this way. I smirked at Emmett who also looked slightly smug about all of this. "And what do you mean you can see the future? Nobody can do that." He answered her silent thoughts.

"She can, Edward. She saw all of this yesterday and she knew you wouldn't be mad at her. Not mad enough to send her away or anything." I answered. "Look, predict something Alice."

"It doesn't usually work that way. Um…" She paused for a minute and stared off into space while we all watched her with curious eyes. "You're waiting on a replacement for a broken television, Emmett. It's waiting for you at a Sears and Roebuck store in town. The salesman is going to call in a few minutes to tell you to come and get it."

"The television is broken, but you could have found that out at any time in the last few days. The only place to get one out here is Sears, so that's not a hard guess, either." Edward shot back at her.

I turned when I heard my front screen door swing shut from across the road. Esme smiled at all of us as she crossed the gravel path. "Oh, it's so nice to see you've all met. Welcome home boys." She kissed Edward and Emmett each on the cheek. "I've missed you both. Oh, Emmett? A Mr. Sanders at Sears just called your house while I was straightening up over there. You're television is ready. Rosalie will drive you when she finds the time. Is Carlisle inside? Play nice kids." She smiled sweetly and vanished into the house to welcome her husband home.

Alice smiled up at Edward with her arms folded. "Told you." He stomped off into the house behind Esme, mumbling something bout 'strange little freak.' "He's taking it very well, I think."

"Don't worry about him. Its high time somebody out-weirded him in the mental department. I'm Emmett, by the way." Emmett put out his gigantic hand to shake with Jasper. "Welcome to the family. I guess I'm not the baby anymore?"

"Emmett was the last to join us and that was what, fifteen years ago?" I smiled up at him.

"Sixteen, Angel. Girls are always trying to take years off their age." He laughed. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I want to get home and get myself a shower. Nice meeting you both. Come over anytime." He turned to leave and took my hand with a devious smile. He missed me when he was gone, I could tell.

--

"Alice? Come with me? Esme wants us to have a girl's night." I smiled and pulled her along. "She's so happy to have another girl around, really. I am too. With three men around all the time, I'm actually starting to like wearing pants. That's so lazy of me!" I giggled. I took her across the road with me toward my own house and showed her to my bedroom. Not the one I shared with Emmett, my own room.

"You have two bedrooms?" she laughed. "Why do you need two? Do you and Emmett have problems getting along or something? Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely room. I love all the pink and the lace, but really?"

Esme was seated on the twin bed against one wall in an adorable blue dress with a pair of my fluffy high-heeled slippers on her feet. Pinky was curled up beside her in a cute white doggy sweater I had knitted her. "The big bedroom is for both Emmett and I. He understands I like my personal space, so he let's me have this one and I have my own bathroom, as well. He has his own connected to the big room. Make yourself at home, Alice." I smiled up at her from the bed.

"Alice, Rosalie and I have a surprise for you. I wanted to have this night with just the girls, Pinky included, to welcome you to the family. It's been the two of us against the boys for so long. We both feel fortunate to have you here with us. Neither of us has ability close to yours, while the boys all have something special against us. Edward's mind reading, being the most obvious along side Emmett's brute strength and Carlisle's resistance."

"And I fully encourage you to use your visions to put Edward in his place as often as possible." I smiled warmly. "He's been using his power to his advantage far too often."

Alice smiled and took a seat with us on the small bed. "I like it here. I feel…comfortable. Maybe that's just Jasper making me feel that way, but if he's comfortable, then I'm comfortable. He has that effect on me." She giggled. "You said you had a surprise for me, Esme?"

"Don't act like you didn't know." I smiled and nudged her playfully. "Don't take this the wrong way, but your clothes are…not good? Do you only have this one outfit?" I was trying my best to be polite and not seem rude. She nodded in response.

"I don't have much time or money to shop for myself. I have to keep an eye on Jasper. If we come across a second hand store, like the one in your town, we go in and find something fast to get out without any trouble. They're usually pretty empty of customers and very well organized. We haven't got much money, either. I feel a little guilty about that. All the cash we have, we stole from Jasper's victims." She sighed.

"I can understand how that would be a problem." Esme agreed. "That's why Rose and I put together this little gift for you. Rose? Could you bring it in?" I ran down the hall to the big bedroom and grabbed a box big enough for our television. I brought it back to the smaller room and sat it on the floor in front of Alice. "Ta-daa! This is for you." I smiled and sat on the bed. She already knew what was in it, thanks to her visions, but she was sweet enough to play along and act completely surprised.

"Oh! You got me a present! That was so nice of you." She opened the box and began pulling out the items inside. "Wow, is all this new? It's all for me?" She held a dark blue dress up to her body to picture herself wearing it. I could tell she would look lovely.

"Yes, it's all new. There are shoes at the bottom and makeup and things. A few hats and purses, all kinds of goodies." I smiled. "Have you ever had a makeover before?"

"What's a makeover?" she asked then paused for a moment. I guessed she was seeing something in her mind about it. She instantly became excited and began bouncing around on the floor. "Oh! I love it! I can't wait to try all these things on!" To my own shock, she jumped up and began undressing right there.

"Alice! Alice, wait. Use the powder room." I pointed to the door in the corner. "Then come out and show us." Esme smiled sweetly and nodded in her own supportive fashion. It took Alice two hours to go through all of the outfits for us. When she was done, I asked her to pick her favorite and wear that while I did her hair and makeup.

--

"So Jasper, tell us, what's going on with you and Alice? Do you love her? Are you going to marry her or anything?" I had to know. It's been so long since I met anyone new I could be close to, I wanted to ask Jasper anything that popped into my head. Edward didn't like that idea, but I asked anyway. I can't read minds, so Jasper would just have to spill his guts out loud to us.

"I would like to marry her one day. I have a ring from when I was a newborn I intended to give to someone else, but things didn't go as planned. I want to do it right and surprise her, but that will never happen, for obvious reasons."

"Oh, she's a hard girl to surprise, I guess. How did you meet her? Stop looking at me like that, Edward. I have a right to ask and if he doesn't want to answer, then that's fine, too." Sometimes he was just too proper.

"I'll answer, it's fine." Jasper spoke up. "I was in Philadelphia about a year ago just wandering around. There was a museum with an exhibit on the Liberty Bell I was interested in. I was caught in a downpour out side of a place called the Mayfair Diner, so I ducked inside to dry off a little. There she was, sitting there waiting for me, just as she had predicted. I knew it the instant I saw her that she was there for me. I love that little girl with all my heart. She gives me hope, which is more than I could ever ask for." I suddenly felt kind of optimistic and a little fuzzy inside.

"Wow, that sounds cool. She saw you in a vision and found you that way? Wow." I couldn't stop saying that word, 'Wow.' Edward laughed at me then gave me a hug. Jasper was a talented guy.

"Where are you from? Or…when are you from?" Edward asked.

"Texas, in the 1850's. I was a Major in the Confederate Army at nineteen years of age." He answered proudly. "I was turned when I was twenty, spent several long decades participating in vampire armies fighting for control of Mexican and Texan cities. Then I gave that up to move north and find a better way of living, but I've had control issues, as you know."

"We're going to help you with that. Starting today. Then maybe we can work on a plan for you to propose to your girl?" I offered. I had managed to score myself three accepted marriage proposals to date, all of which Rosalie loved.

"Well, I have a deal with myself first." Jasper answered. "If I can be responsible for two months and not harm any humans, then I will ask her. But I've been on the wagon for two weeks at the most thus far. Two months is a rather large feat." He let out a long sigh and looked at the ground.

"You can do it. Rose has never once touched a human. I've only hurt one. You can do this. We'll help you. You're our brother now. Don't' worry." I slugged him good and hard across his back and gave him a welcoming smile.

--

"Uh oh, Pinky's got to go, Rosalie. I'll take her out." Esme smiled and walked out with the dog tailing behind her. I decided to use this opportunity to get to know Alice on a slightly deeper level. I sat her in a chair to put rollers in her hair before asking her some interesting questions I had come up with since she arrived.

"So Alice, tell me about Jasper? Do you plan to marry him? What kind of a relationship do you have?" I watched her face in the wall mirror while I combed her short hair and put the rollers in it one by one.

"Well, I just adore him. I knew the moment I saw him in my head he was the one. I'd love to marry him someday, but he just won't ask me. I keep waiting for the vision, but it's not happening. We're crazy for each other, if you can't tell." She giggled and folded her legs underneath herself.

"Is he very old fashioned? Are you umm…are you waiting for marriage, or has that ship already sailed?" I wasn't sure how to ask that question without sounding rude, but it needed to be asked. I had my suspicions that with Jasper's emotional talents, things between them were not only passionate, but slightly different from the norm.

"He is old fashioned. He wants to wait until we're married, but I don't see the point to it. He can very persuasive when he wants to be alone with me." She giggled. "See, with us, we don't need to…you know?"

"No?" I shook my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"See, if I'm feeling...frisky and I go to him, he can feel that and he just knows. If he's feeling that way and he comes to me, I know what he wants too. Follow me, Rosalie? Well if we're both feeling that way and we're alone, it just goes back and forth and builds and builds until POW! It's crazy, but so incredible."

"You don't…you don't wrestle around or play games or wreck the bed? You just stare at each other and it happens?" How could that possibly be! The world was so unfair!

"We don't stare at each other like zombies, Rosalie. We hold each other and say sweet things and just enjoy the company. It's fantastic!" She clapped her hands and smiled up at me in the reflection, but I had dropped the comb and the curler I was holding. "Rosalie? Have I upset you somehow? You look…in shock." She turned around to see my face.

"What? No I'm not upset. I'm just…I'm insanely jealous of you!" I nearly yelled picking up the dropped items.

"Jealous? Why on earth? Aren't you and Emmett happy with each other?"

"Of course we are, there's nothing wrong there. It's just…you have it so easy!" I sighed and went back to fixing her hair. "There's so much effort into being with Emmett, sometimes it doesn't seem worth it! I have to put on the sexy, uncomfortable clothes, then let him rip them off, do my hair nice for him, then let him mess it all up and pull it out. I make the bed, then we wreck the sheets again and I have to start over. Then sometimes he breaks the bed frame all together and I have to get out the toolbox and repair it!"

"That is a lot of effort. I don't think if I married Jasper it would be so difficult. He doesn't mind if my hair is messy or the bed isn't made. We never had a bed to mess up in the first place!" She smiled. "Can you imagine, though? If Jasper and I are this wild now, what will it be like if we do things your way? Holy cow! We're going to blow the door off the hinges!" She and I both laughed wildly at the prospect of that actually happening.

"Hello girls! Pinky is fresh as a daisy. What were you laughing about up here?" she smiled and resumed her position on the small bed.

"Nothing, just how Jasper and Alice met. It's a really sweet story." I didn't want Esme to know exactly what we were talking about while she was gone. It was better she didn't know just yet. I still considered her a mother figure and that would be awkward. I finished Alice's hair and got on to painting her finger and toenails.

"What is this supposed to do, Rosalie? I don't understand." She asked then held up her hands to admire the new pink color. "Wow! Now I do! I love this. We should do this all the time. I want to learn everything you know!" She jumped out of the chair and hugged me suddenly. "OH! I'm so glad to have a sister like you!"

"Me too, Alice. Welcome home."

--

The end!

Sorry this was a day late, but I left the disk at work and I had to retype half of it. Special thanks to the Mayfair Diner in Philly for feeding me and putting up with my drunken antics at 3am all the time lol. Those old ladies love me! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please reviews?? More will come next Thursday, YAY FOR SATURDAY WHOOO!!


	14. Love Stings

Those Were the Days – Love Stings

T- to be safe (theres some stuff in this chap that's a little racy, so be warned!)

Steph owns everything, including the kitchen sink and Jesus's very own sandals at this point, im pretty sure lol.

((there are NO spoilers to BD in my stories! Just so everyone is clear on that! Any reference I make to future events comes from Books 1, 2, and 3 ONLY! If I change my plans and do include something, there will be a note at the top of the chapter!!))

--

"What's that sound Emmett?" My darling husband and I had just come back from a vacation to Niagara Falls, when we walked into our house and heard an odd buzzing coming from our bedroom. It was a low hum of a buzz, nothing alarming, but nothing I had ever heard before. We made our way up the stairs slowly; the sound growing louder as we stood outside the closed bedroom door. "What do you think it could be?" I whispered.

"Maybe we left the radio on and it's just on a bad station? I don't know what it could be. Ok, you open the door and I'm going to run in there and pummel whatever it is. Ready?" He stood in a mild attack pose facing the door while my hand was on the knob. "Open it!" I swung the door open just before Emmett charged into the room and screamed bloody murder. "AHHH! BEES!" I walked in after him out of curiosity. If I were a cat, I would have lost all my lives at once.

"What? Bees? BEES!" I screamed wildly as what seemed like a million bees swarmed around both Emmett and myself. I had never been so terrified of anything in my life. I knew they couldn't hurt me, but that many bees in one small space can feel quite overwhelming. I continued screaming and swatting at the tiny monsters in a fit of panic along side Emmett who was doing the same for a moment. He managed to get a grip on himself and push me out of the room, slamming the door behind us. "GETTHEMOFFME! GETTHEMOFFME! OHGODEMMETT! EW EW EW EWW!" I continued my mental breakdown in the hallway, still feeling the few bees that had escaped crawling on my skin and tangled in my hair and clothes.

"Hold still! I have to smack them off of you!" Once Emmett had saved me and destroyed all the evil bees outside the bedroom, I tried to calm down and regain my composure. "I'm sorry, it was my fault." He mumbled staring at the closed door.

"Your fault? How is it your fault?" I whispered, still feeling unsettled. I was visibly shaking and if I could, I would have been in tears.

"I left the window open while we were in Niagara Falls all week. I had opened it to toss out a spider I found on the desk and forgot to shut it before we left. I'm sorry. I'll call an exterminator first thing in the morning." He pulled me into a hug and I could tell he really did feel badly about this. "I'll put our things in the smaller bedroom."

"No!" I shrieked.

"No? What should I do, then?" He asked.

"I'm not staying in this house another minute! Get the suitcases, we're going to mom's!" I knew I was upset when I called her _Mom_ this way. I wanted Esme. I needed a hug from a parent. Emmett could tell I was not well, as he didn't argue at all. He went straight downstairs and took all five pieces of our luggage over to Esme and Carlisle's house.

"What's the matter, dear?" Esme asked. I buried my face into her shoulder and sobbed softly. "Did you run into trouble out there in New York?"

"BEES! Bees, lots and lots of bees. In my room, Mom! Everywhere!" I could feel her picking a few of them from my clothes while she tried to console me. "Can we stay here until their gone?"

"Of course, dear. Carlisle and I were just playing cards in the kitchen with Jasper. Would you like to join us?" She was just what I needed. I felt better the instant I saw her smile.

--

"Yeah, Rose and I are going to be in the spare room with Pinky for a night or two until we can get rid of them. How have you been Edward?"

"He's not allowed to talk. Neither is Alice." Jasper answered in the midst of an intense hand of poker with Carlisle. "They wanted to watch, so neither of them is allowed to speak."

"I see." I nodded. "Are you betting?"

"Yes, just chips. No real money." Carlisle had three of a kind, from what I could see. He never bet with real money, but I had a feeling Jasper would if he had the chance. I walked around the table and saw Jasper holding three of a kind as well, but different values. Alice was over Jasper's shoulder admiring his hand while Edward was beside Carlisle on the opposite end of the table. I was beginning to think they would never call the hand. The pot in the center of the table was enormous. "I'm all in." Carlisle pushed the remainder of his chips to the center of the table.

"Yes sir. All in." Jasper did the same. "You first, sir?"

Carlisle paused a moment then laid his cards on the table. "Three Jacks."

Jasper hesitated and looked up at Alice's face before lying his own out. "Three queens. Thank you, sir. It's been a pleasure." He shook Carlisle's hand before raking all of the chips to his own side of the table.

"How long was that game going on, Edward?" I asked.

"Since 8pm, last night." He laughed and took Carlisle's seat. It was after midnight, but I wouldn't be surprised if he meant 8pm the day before. It was known to happen in our house. We once played a game of Monopoly for four straight days and nights until I gave in and bankrupted myself on purpose to let Edward win.

"Have the two of you decided what you're going to do for money?" Jasper had voiced some concerns to Edward and I about their financial state before Rose and I left for vacation. I took another empty chair and sat on it backwards facing the group.

"We're going to take over the stock market!" Alice giggled wildly.

"I have about forty dollars and Alice has nearly twenty. We've decided to go with the stock market plan she suggested last week." Jasper smiled up at Alice who looked rather excited.

"It shouldn't be too difficult if I pay close attention to my visions. Now that Carlisle has given us identification and legal papers saying who we are, we can do almost anything! Could you get us started, Edward? You're an expert at these things. I could help you with your investments, too. I know you're like a go-zillionaire already, but a little more never hurt, right?" She looked devious and sneaky and I think Jasper liked it. He whispered something in her ear, which made her giggle and the pair of them were upstairs in her room in an instant.

--

The only clothes I had with me were the ones I had brought on vacation. A few pretty dresses, some plain dresses for the drive to and from Niagara Falls, and one pair of pants incase I felt like hunting. Aside from that, I had about twenty nightgowns, corsets, slips, garters, and other slinky items that took up one entire suitcase by themselves. Nobody really went to Niagara Falls to experience the outdoors anyway, especially Emmett and I.

The dresses needed to be hung up so they could let the wrinkles out from being packed, so I had nailed a clothes line from one side of the room to the other. I hung up all of the dresses and things in a neat row and lay on the spare bed to relax. Someone had left a magazine on the nightstand, so I lay on my stomach in a bra and matching panties to flip through the pages. I could hear a poker game going on downstairs for a while, then everything went kind of quiet and I heard two pairs of feet tiptoe down the hall into the back bedroom, Alice's room. Carlisle was being much too easy on them when it came to rules about dating.

I was in the middle of a good article about stopping frizzy hair when I suddenly felt very…antsy. I wondered where Emmett had gone, but he walked into the room just as I was sitting up. He had a determined look on his face, almost threatening and he aimed it at me. "Emmett? Do you feel that?" I wasn't sure if he knew the extent of Jasper's talents. I was on my knees on the bed now and the sight of him walking in looking so fierce made me lick my lips suddenly. I noticed my posture in the dressing mirror on the wall and smiled at myself. I looked good enough to eat! So did he!

"I feel something, I dunno why, but it's pretty nice. You can feel that?" He looped one gigantic arm around my waist and pulled me roughly to his chest. His free hand moved from my ankle, past my knee, my thigh, hip and stomach to tangle in my hair. He crashed his lips into mine and let out a long deep moan. It gave me a shiver I felt from my toes up to my scalp.

"Uh huh. I'll explain later. For now, just don't stop." I purred in his ear while I tore the buttons off his shirt and ripped his belt from his jeans. Out of courtesy to our neighbors at the hotel, we had kept the noise and roughness to a minimum while we were away. At this moment, Emmett was threatening to break the bed to pieces and I was more than willing to let him.

A few minutes later, a thumping sound came through the wall between our current room and Esme and Carlisle's room. I couldn't be sure, but I imagined Esme and Carlisle were feeling the same thing as Emmett and I, and Jasper and Alice down the hall. I paused for a moment to listen, but Emmett had thrown his clothes into a heap in the corner and was wrestling me to the mattress. "What's going on, Rose?" he panted through a smirk on his lips while he kissed trails all over my now naked body. "Is this…from him?"

I nodded wordlessly and smirked back at him before he smashed his lips into mine once more and wrapped my legs around his hips. I had the suspicion that exterminator wasn't going to be visiting our house for several more days.

--

"Come on a hunt with me, Edward? I feel like going for a good run. Maybe find some elk or moose!" I smiled and jogged in place out in the yard. I was ready to go and thirstier than I had been in ages.

"Leave me alone, Emmett. I don't want to. Go on without me." Edward grumbled over the pages of his catalog. "I have things to do here."

"What's that you're reading? _Cornell University Course Selection Guide, Fall 1951. _Cornell? You're going back to school? Again? You just got out of school, Edward." I asked trying to read the back cover. Nobody loved school like he did, that's for sure.

"Yes, I want to get a master's degree. I'm thinking psychology or philosophy, but I can't decide."

"How long have you been considering this? You never mentioned anything before." I was surprised how interested he was in going away for another few years. I couldn't imagine what had brought this on. I stood behind him to read the catalog and see what was so great about some snooty Ivy League college in Ithaca, New York.

"It was a recent decision. Things are getting crowded around here and I need to find some space of my own."

"Hey, their mascot is a bear named Touchdown! Crowded? We're only staying for a few more days, Edward. Then you'll have loads more space. Is this about Alice taking your room the way she did?"

"No, it has nothing to do with Alice. I just need some space. If going across the road to live with a beehive would give me some space, I'd take that, too. I've always admired Cornell's masters programs. They're among the top in the country. There's no reason for me not to go." He stood up after his rant and rushed inside with a loud huff. I didn't want him to go, but nothing could stop him if he wanted to leave.

"Bye, Edward."

--

The end!

Hope everyone enjoyed the excitement of the book this week! WHOO I cant believe its all out there in the open finally. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! SEND SOME REVIEWS!! ;) I MISS THEM SO MUCH!


	15. Coming and Going

Those Were the Days – Coming and Going

T to be safe

Steph owns the deed to the moon, as well as everyone in this story.

--

I was seated on the couch reading a novel, when I heard Esme's screen door swing shut followed by heavy footsteps moving toward the front of the house. Edward was about to turn the banister and go up the steps, when Alice stood in front of him with a silent stare. "It's possible." He answered her thoughts. "Then it's done. I'm going to get started. I'll talk to him first, so he understands why." I couldn't imagine what he was going to start until I saw the Cornell brochure tucked under his arm.

"Please don't? He's going to take this personally." She whispered, almost pleading with him about something. "He's been trying so hard, Edward. If he gets upset, he might get himself into trouble."

"He has to learn somehow, Alice. I can't be here much longer." Edward stomped up the stairs and barged in on Jasper. I went to the bottom of the stairs to listen in. If Edward could listen to every thought we all had, I had the right to know why he was so mad at Jasper.

"Jasper, please don't get upset?" I heard Alice whisper. Jasper was silent for the entire exchange. All I could hear was Edward replying to his thoughts.

"You need to be here more than I do." Edward spoke before a long pause. "I need to find some peace in this world and if that means moving away to give you space here, then that is what I'll do. Good bye, Jasper." Edward crossed the hall to his own room and began packing.

"What's he doing up there?"

"Emmett! You almost gave me a stroke!" I was so busy listening to them all upstairs; I hadn't realized he was standing behind me. "Edward wants to leave us." I whispered. "I think Jasper's emotional empathy is giving him a lot of stress, especially after last night. I didn't realize at the time how uncomfortable he must have felt with three couples…in the house together…at the same time…with Jasper."

Emmett made an angry face, which made me feel very hostile. "You know what, I have half a mind to go up there-"

He was cut off from his rant when a very tense Jasper flew down the stairs with Alice on his heels. "Jasper? Jasper, please listen to me? Don't leave?"

"I don't like his tone. He's not superior to me in any way. I didn't mean to make him feel that way last night, but he won't even give me the chance to redeem myself. I need to be alone, Alice. I gotta clear my head."

I looked at Emmett who took my hand and squeezed it. I was sure he could feel everything Jasper was feeling; I know I was able to.

"I won't leave you alone, you know that. I'll just follow you wherever you go."

"Don't follow me! Why don't you ever listen?" Jasper growled down at her. I wanted to step in, but Emmett held my hand and kept me from moving. I didn't like the way he spoke to her. It was out of line.

"Fine! Go on then! See if I ever do anything nice for you're stubborn butt ever again!" Alice growled right back and stared him dead in the eyes. She looked like a demon had possessed her tiny body.

"I should have left you're sorry hide at that diner when I had the chance! Or taken you back to the asylum where you came from!" Jasper snapped and flew out the door alone, leaving Alice fuming and staring at the screen door with fire in her eyes. She seemed to be frozen for a second before she shook her head and walked calmly out to the kitchen.

"Emmett, go after him?" He nodded and snuck out the front door while I went to check on Alice, who was analyzing the stock reports in the newspaper. "Alice? Are you alright?" I sat across from her at the table and tried to read the page she was studying, but it made no sense to me. It was all numbers and weird abbreviations.

"Fine, Rosalie. Why do you ask? OH! I made five grand this morning!" She giggled and clapped her hands. She seemed to have another vision and stared off into space for a moment. She shook her head again and tried to push whatever she saw aside as if it were meaningless. "Sorry, I keep seeing things. They aren't making any sense at all. It happens sometimes. Oh well."

"You're scaring me Alice. You just had a huge blowup with Jasper who ran away from home and you don't even care? You said you wanted to marry him, but you just let him leave? Now you're sitting here having random, meaningless visions and you wave them off like they're nothing. I don't understand you're mood swings sometimes." She really was worrying me. I wanted to know exactly why she was behaving this way.

"You see how we are when we feel…you know, feisty?" She giggled. "Unfortunately, it's the same way when we fight. He gets angry, then I get angry and we bicker like an old married couple. As soon as we separate, we're fine. We don't hold grudges over someone saying something mean or stupid. Next time I see him, it will be like it never happened."

"What are you seeing in the visions?"

"It's silly, like something out of a horror film. These figures in black robes with pale faces. It's silly, like I said. Real movie-style, Dracula kind of stuff. Vampires don't look like that, obviously." She smirked and gestured between us. I wasn't smirking back at her.

"Are they coming here, Alice?" I was quite serious compared to her nonchalant attitude. "What are they doing in the visions? Tell me everything you can?"

She thought for a moment, trying to see them again, I suppose. "There are three of them; two tall and one shorter. Black robes and pale skin, like I said. Their standing around a figure in the center, but I can't see them because one of the robes is blocking the way. That's all." She shrugged and went back to the paper in front of her. I felt positively ill. "Something the matter, Rose?"

"Has Jasper ever told you about the Volturi? Has Carlisle? Edward?" I asked.

"What's a Volturi?" That was my answer. I had to find Carlisle and fast.

"Where is Jasper? Can you see him? Can you see Emmett? We have to find Carlisle and tell him what you saw." I was beginning to panic. Carlisle had told me about the Volturi when I was a newborn and told me, he had _warned_ me that if they ever showed up here for any reason, it could mean the end of us.

"The boys are in town outside the Sears store. Emmett is trying to talk Jasper into coming home, but he's still angry. What's a Volturi, Rose? Why is this such a big deal?"

"Get in the car, we have to go. I'll explain on the way to town. I have to get Edward." I ran upstairs into Edward's room, which was already half packed. As soon as he saw me, he knew what was happening.

"She just saw that?"

"She's been seeing it for days, I think, but she figured it meant nothing. Esme is out for a hunt. Go find her. I have to go to town to get Emmett and Jasper and tell Carlisle at his office. We need to have a serious family meeting." I turned and ran to the garage to get the car while Edward took off after Esme's scent out in the woods. I had no idea who the Volturi were questioning in that circle, but it could be anyone of us.

--

"He didn't mean it, Jasper. He's just moody sometimes. Specially when he feels left out." Jasper was feeling miserable while we walked through town and it was becoming difficult to talk to him. I didn't like feeling this way, and my waves of try-to-be-happy were no match for his waves of everyone-hates-me. "Alice really loves you and wants you to feel welcome. If you can't think of a reason to stay, do it for her?"

"I love Alice too, but I don't like Edward when he acts like he's the Prince of Cullen Castle. I didn't mean to make him feel…left out last night. I haven't been with Alice that way in weeks and we just kind of got lost in each other. I didn't stop to think that you and Rosalie, and even Carlisle and Esme could sense what I was feeling. I imagine the four of you had quite an evening, but Edward…why doesn't he have a mate?" That was the most I had ever heard Jasper say at one time.

"Edward's ability keeps him from getting close to other people, specially girls. He had something going with this good looking blonde from Alaska for a while, but once he sees their thoughts, it turns him off. I won't be surprised if he chooses to leave for a while and go to Cornell, like he wants. I'm sure he'll come back, but for now he just wants some alone time."

Jasper and I were looking into the window at the Sears and Roebuck store when the back of my neck suddenly felt warm. I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside quickly. "The sun's coming out. We might be stuck in here a while. Let's see if we can't find a nice gift for the girls? I'm sure Alice will know what you got her right away, but Rose isn't as insightful."

--

The end.

I'm so sorry for the delay, but this has been a really long, strange week for me. I had writers block again, so I sat and read back through all 50+ chapters so far. I hope you like this one and PLEASE REVIEW??


	16. Blank Slate

Those Were the Days – Blank Slate

T to be safe

Stephenie still owns everything, I'm just borrowing for now.

--

"How exact are your visions, Alice? Are they always certain, or can they change? Are you ever entirely incorrect about what you see?" I was flying down the back roads of our Minnesota town trying to get to Main Street as fast as possible without attracting too much attention. Two teenage girls in a shiny red convertible going well over the posted speed limit would surely be a sight for these small town people. The sun was beginning to emerge from the clouds in a few places, so I pulled over and put the top up to be safe.

"They are reliable, for the most part, but nothing is set in stone, Rosalie. I can see that these people, the Volturi, as you called them have decided to come here. I cannot see when, where exactly they will attack this person, who the person is, or why they are doing anything in the first place. I see black robes in a grassy field around a person curled in a ball on the ground. If there was snow, I could say winter, or during a storm if there was rain, during daylight or at night, but I can't pinpoint things without evidence. There is no evidence to back anything up right now." She explained. "Tell me about these people? Why are you so afraid right now?"

"These people are so old, they're ageless. Carlisle was involved with them three hundred years ago in Italy, where they come from, but they've existed much longer than that. They're like the vampire police, for lack of a better explanation. They usually never leave Italy, unless something absolutely necessary happens with the rest of the vampire population to warrant a visit." I swerved around a little old lady in a Cadillac and turned off the highway onto the main road that led into town.

"What could possibly have happened around here to cause them to want to visit? In the past, why did they come here? Did something horrible happen?" She was beginning to understand the scope of the danger we were in.

"Jasper should know these things, seeing as he came from the most likely area for a Volturi visit. I can't believe he's never told you about them. The South, Texas, Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, their all very uncivilized as far as vampires are concerned. They've been warring for control down there for over a century. Whenever the vampires cause too much destruction, the Volturi come along and clean up the mess to keep order. Things can get out of hand anywhere, though, not just the south." I pulled into a parking space under a shady tree. And waited for a moment to plan our next move. "Where are the boys?"

"There, shopping in the Sears." She pointed. She seemed to have another vision for a moment and shook her head. "Sorry. I just saw Jasper. He's just decided to spend a lot of money on something for himself. It's not like him to do that. I don't know what to make of it."

"Can you see Carlisle?"

"In his office down the street." Alice gnawed on one of her fingers nervously as we looked up and down the block for some kind of plan or idea of what to do next. "The sun's behind a cloud. We should go now."

"Right." We moved to exit the car, but I shut the door right away and pulled her back inside. "Woah! Did you smell that?" I mumbled trying to be casual and avoid detection.

"Yes. Vampire. And it's close. I don't recognize it."

"Neither do I." I whispered trying to see anyone outside the car who might be watching us. "I don't see anyone we should be cautious about. Let's go into the Sears and find the boys. Then we can go see Carlisle and tell him what's happening." I exited the car slowly while the sun was behind a thick cloud and walked across the street with Alice to the department store.

--

"I do like this guitar, Emmett. It's kinda pricey, though." Jasper was admiring a shiny new guitar in the music section. I had no idea he could even play, but he really could. "I haven't touched a guitar in ages. My last one was stolen during the depression and I've never had money for a new one."

"You only live once, right?" I smiled. "Alice tells me your stock market plan has been paying off nicely. Treat yourself. I won't say a word about the price, promise. Why don't you get that necklace for Alice while we're here? The one with the blue stones in it?"

He touched the guitar as if it were made of solid gold and nodded decisively. It was clear he was in love with it. "You're right. Can you take it to the girl at the counter for me and tell her to throw in the necklace? I don't want to go near her right now." He cleared his throat as he put the guitar into a case and handed it to me. His eyes were dark and I could tell from the way he was swallowing a lot, he was thirsty.

Just as the girl finished wrapping the necklace in a gold box, I smelled Rose's perfume floating through the air. She snuck up behind me and peeked over my shoulder. "Hey cowboy. What's with the guitar? Is that gold box for me?" She purred in my ear.

"No, actually, it's for Alice from Jasper. The guitar is his too." I looked over to them a short distance away, but they seemed to be caught up in a disagreement. I thanked the sales girl and handed the jewelry box to Rose so I could take the guitar case. "Why's she upset?"

She put a hand on my arm to tell me to be quiet for a moment so she could listen. "He feels guilty for buying that because it cost a lot of money. She doesn't want him to feel that way. She's glad he did that for himself. Just shush a minute?"

"I don't know, I've never had money like this that we can just toss around. I'm not used to it, Alice. It makes me uncomfortable sometimes. Did you see what I got you? It's easier for me to get you things, than to get them for myself. I feel greedy getting myself nice things." Jasper looked nervous and fidgeted with his hat between his hands.

Alice closed her eyes and shook her head. "You got me something? When? How did I miss that? I saw you looking at the guitar then you nodded and that was it." Her face was concerned as she tried and tried to see what the present was, but had no idea.

"You mean you don't know? You can't see anything? I actually get to surprise you for once?" Jasper pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Rosalie, can you bring that to me? I want to remember this moment for the rest of my days. Not once have I ever been able to surprise Alice." Rose put the box it his hand and stood beside me once again. He gave the box to Alice, but she still looked concerned. "You still have no idea what's in there?" He whispered.

"Not a clue. I'm not used to this. Getting things and not knowing." She whispered back and opened the box slowly. "OH!" She closed it back up and giggled. "It looks expensive." She opened it again and let the small blue stones sparkle in the fluorescent lights above her. "It's gorgeous, Jasper. Thank you." She pulled him down by his neck to kiss him and let him clip it around her neck. "Rose, what do you think of it?"

"It's beautiful, but we still need to find Carlisle. And figure out what's going on. Emmett, put this in the car? I'll explain on the way to Carlisle's office." Rosalie asked. I nodded and went across the street to the car, where I picked up the scent of a vampire, but ignored it. I would ask her about that later. I joined the three of them outside the Sears and walked down the street toward the medical building on the corner while she told us about Alice's visions of the people in black robes. I had heard Carlisle talking about the Volturi on a few occasions, but never really gave them any thought. He seemed to be on friendly terms with them, so they didn't feel like a threat to me.

Carlisle finished with a patient and brought the four of us into a small office at the back of the building. "What brings you all by like this? You could have called." He seemed irritated by our sudden visit, but it was important that we all come at once.

"Alice had a vision. Tell him." Rosalie nudged the small girl forward to speak.

"I waited to tell Rosalie because I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I saw several figures in black robes surrounding a person who was curled on the ground. I couldn't see any faces, but pale hands sticking out from the robes here and there. Rosalie said it's something called the Volturi? The vampire police?" She had her eyes closed but looked very frustrated. "This is strange."

"Yes, that does sound like them. What's strange, Alice?" Carlisle asked. "Has the scene changed in your vision?"

"No, I can't see it at all. If I have a vision once, I can play it over and over until it happens in reality. I'm trying to replay it, but all I see is darkness." She whispered.

"So they aren't coming anymore?" I asked.

"If they decided not to come, I would still see the field they were standing in, or the person they were surrounding in a different location. I can't see anything. Just…darkness."

"What does that mean?" Jasper asked. He looked very concerned for her. If it was Rosalie in that position, I would be worried too.

"I've never been unable to see things like this. I don't know, Jasper. I don't like it."

Carlisle rubbed his forhead trying to make sense of the situation. "I'd like you all to go back home and wait for me. I have a few more patients to see, but I will be home before dark. Tell Esme and Edward to stay indoors with you. If anything out of the ordinary happens, do not hesitate to call me here."

"Yes, Carlisle." We all said in unison before turning to leave. When we approached the car, I decided it would be a good time to speak to Rose about that strange scent I picked up. "Did either of you girls smell a vamp out here earlier, a strange one? I smelled it when I put the guitar in the trunk."

"We did. Rosalie and I were about to cross the street when we jumped back into the car to be careful. Neither of us recognized it. We should get home. I don't like being without my visions. I feel…unsafe." I nodded and hit the gas to drive everyone back home. Rosalie was so worried by all of this; she gave me the keys without question.

--

"Esme? Edward? We're home." I called as we all came in through the back door. Edward was banging away at his piano in the front room and looked concerned. I spotted Esme in the kitchen cleaning the counters and offered her a hug. "Did Edward tell you what Alice saw?"

"Yes, dear. I'm not terribly worried. They might just be in the area to investigate something we aren't aware of. We should all just go about life as normal for the time being." She smiled and squeezed my hand. I jumped when I heard Emmett yelling at Edward in the next room.

"Edward? Are you ignoring me? I've been yelling your name in my head for five minutes, but you won't even look up. We need to talk to you in the kitchen." He shouted.

"I wasn't ignoring you. I didn't hear you calling me until you yelled it out loud. Esme and I need to speak with the rest of you, as well." He stood up and walked to the kitchen looking panicky and confused. "While I was out with Esme just a few minutes ago, we came across the scent of an unfamiliar vampire. Ever since then, I can't read anyone's thoughts." He explained. Alice let out a squeak and took a step toward him. "Alice? What's the matter?"

"I can't use my visions. We found a strange scent too, in town outside the Sears. Since we found that scent, I can't see a thing. Do you they could be related, Edward? The scents? The loss of our powers?" If Alice could be sick, at that moment she would have been. She looked terrified. Jasper was behind her trying to calm her down, but he could feel her fear. I could see it in his eyes.

"Jasper, have you lost any of your emotional abilities?" Esme asked.

"No, not to my knowledge. I can still feel what you all are feeling. Can you feel what I'm sending out?" He asked.

"Calm. I feel a weird kind of calm." Rosalie answered while we all agreed. "Jasper hasn't lost a thing. But he hasn't smelled that vampire."

"I don't think it's the vampire's scent that's causing the problem. We all have a scent, but it's totally benign. Perhaps this unknown vampire has an ability we aren't aware of. A dis-ability, if you will. Once they know we have a power, they can stop us from using it." Edward reasoned.

"If you can't hear and she can't see, our family is defenseless. What if you never regain your abilities, Edward?" Rosalie asked. She seemed as worried as Alice at this concept. "That puts us all in terrible danger."

He thought for a moment before answering. "Sometimes I feel like I'm going mad with all the noise in my head. While losing my hearing would leave us all at a disadvantage, I have to be honest when I say the silence is rather welcome for a change. I feel guilty saying that, but until you hear what I hear each day, you can't possibly understand. How do you feel not being able to see things, Alice?"

"I don't like it one bit, Edward. I want my sight back." She sounded almost hysterical. "I've never known a life without my visions. I feel vulnerable and weak. Whatever is causing this emptiness needs to be destroyed. I won't…I can't live like this." She buried her face in Jasper's chest and sobbed softly.

"We'll find them, sweet pea. I'll make sure you get your gift back. In the mean time, can you tell us if you do see anything? If your visions come back at all?" Jasper pet her hair gently and tried to keep her calm, but it wasn't easy for him. Her sadness was outweighing his sense of peace and he was struggling to keep himself together. Alice nodded in agreement.

"If I begin hearing things again, I will let you all know. A car is pulling up. I think its Carlisle." Edward answered and went to the door to see. I pulled Rose into a hug to comfort her and let her know it was going to be all right. We were a family, even at a huge disadvantage like this, and we would stick together.

The end!

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! My attempt at Thursday updates has gone bust lol. Look for updates at more random times, just don't forget to keep sending me the reviews! :)


	17. Chapter 17

The Past Comes Back To Haunt Us

Those Were the Days – 17

Rated pg13

((A note from the author: SORRY SORRY SORRY, again I'm SORRRYYY this has taken MONTHS upon months to be written, but my life kind of went crazy for a while. In a good way. I found my very own Emmett and he's been taking up a lot of my time ;) In the past 2 weeks or so a couple of people have sent me reviews on The Adventures and this sequel and I decided to try and finish this. I hate leaving things undone, so here you go! Back by popular demand! THOSE WERE THE DAYS!))

Hard as I tried, I could not bring myself to go back to the house across the road I shared with Emmett. Every time I walked through the front door, I could feel the bees crawling on my skin and buzzing in my hair where they got tangled. Jasper and Alice had only been with us for a few days, but Edward was growing more and more uncomfortable by the hour. His ability had yet to return, but he could still feel Jasper's emotions, which frustrated him in many ways.

I spoke to Emmett and Carlisle about our living situation and it was decided that Edward would move into our home across the road until he made a decision about attending Cornell in the fall. Emmett and I would take the room Edward had moved into when Alice arrived.

I walked down to the kitchen Sunday morning to find Alice studying the newspaper like always, chewing nervously on her thumbnail. "Good morning, something on your mind?" I took a seat at the table and flipped through a random catalog that came with the paper.

"Not a thing. I know I said I would go to church with you and Esme today, but I don't feel comfortable about it, Rosalie. I'm sorry. I don't like leaving Jasper when I can't see what's happening. Maybe when things return to normal?" She whispered.

"I understand. I keep insulting Edward in my mind, hoping he will snap at me suddenly, but he still can't hear anyone's thoughts. It's so strange. Are you and Jasper going to hunt today?" I heard Esme coming down the stairs and changed the subject. She knew about Alice and Edward going blank, but I could tell it upset her to talk about it. "There's a very nice meadow south of here. It's very private with tall grass and lots of flowers. It's beautiful this time of year."

"South? Maybe we will make a trip down there. It sounds lovely." Alice forced out a smile before skipping out to find Jasper.

"Ready to go, Esme?" I smiled up at her and pulled my rain bonnet on.

"Yes, dear. Alice won't be coming along? I was hoping we could have a girls' day after the service. What about Emmett? Would he like to come?"

"Emmett? I didn't think to ask. Give me a moment?"

I was lounging on the floor with Edward in front of the television watching a nature program about lions on the Savannah when Rosalie knocked on the door. She used to live here, she could just walk in, but she was still weirded-out by the bee invasion a week ago. She waved through the screen door for me to join her. "What's going on, Angel? I thought you were heading to church?"

"Esme asked if you'd like to join us? Please come?" She looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers and I couldn't say no. "Just grab a hat and tie and we can go."

'Sure, I'll be right there." Honestly, she looked good enough to eat in the dress she was wearing. It was black with a red plaid design and tiny red roses all over it. It fit her like a glove. I grabbed my jacket and tie to put on in the car and threw on a hat before running out to the car. Normally church could be very boring, but I had a feeling today's service would be better than usual. If not, I could always think about Rosalie to keep my mind busy.

When we pulled into the parking lot, the usual crowd was milling around, gossiping, shooting the breeze. Mostly older women in their little groups while the husbands and children stood off to the side in their own places. The rain had stopped for a moment, but the clouds remained. I heard a strange pair of voices in the mix among the idle chit-chat and tried to focus on what was being said, but I couldn't understand a word of it.

"Emmett? You're making a strange face. Stop it. People are going to stare." Rosalie whispered as I helped her and Esme from the car.

"You don't hear that? Somebody's speaking a foreign language." I whispered back. I glanced around, but couldn't see anyone who stood out from the crowd.

Esme paused for a moment to smile and wave casually to a few people in the lot before turning toward the two of us.' ¿Por qué estamos nosotros aquí? Debe haber mejores maneras de pasar el tiempo.' 'Why are we here? There must be better ways to pass the time.' It's Spanish, although I can't imagine who would be speaking Spanish in this area." She shrugged. "Everyone is going inside. We should, as well."

"Esme? You never told me you speak Spanish." Rosalie whispered and gave me a confused look behind our mother's back.

"I never had a reason to. I'm surprised I remember it so well. Hmm, just let it go. There's nothing wrong with people speaking another language."

All through the service, Esme seemed distracted. I wondered if there was more to what she heard than she was letting on. 'Why are we here? There must be better ways to pass the time.' It sounded like something someone would say while standing in a church parking lot. It was a thought I often had myself as we pulled up every Sunday morning. As we were leaving, I listened for the voices again, but there were no foreign voices, or accents. "Do you have any errands to run in town, Esme? I was hoping to spend some time with Emmett." I asked.

"Yes, I would like to stop in town and have a word with Carlisle. You can leave me there with him and take the car home, if you'd like. I can ride home with him this afternoon." Esme wanted to speak with Carlisle while he was working? This was strange. Whenever she needed to speak with him, she usually waited for him to come home, unless it was urgent.

"Emmett, after we take Esme, can we head home and go for a hunt? I'm thirsty." I whispered up at him in a seductive tone. I knew I could get him to do whatever I liked with that voice, and it worked. He smiled back and nodded eagerly.

Once we were home, I went to Carlisle's study and searched through his thousands of books until I found one that could help me. I took the Spanish/English dictionary out to the porch and took a seat on the swing to study. Luckily, learning new languages came easily to vampires. I had tried to learn French when I was a newborn, but got bored with it after a day. Now that I had a real reason to learn, I would be able to pick it up with more interest. "I thought we were going hunting?" Emmett examined the cover of the book and turned his nose up at it. "What's this about?"

"I don't like not knowing things. I understand now why Alice is so frustrated with her loss of vision. I'm going to learn Spanish and find out what those people were talking about." I answered keeping my eyes on the book.

"¿Qué personas, Rosalie?" Jasper had appeared out of nowhere, and to my surprise, he also knew how to speak Spanish. "What people?"

"Does everyone but me speak a foreign language?" I nearly shouted and slammed the book down on the seat of the swing in frustration. "First Esme, now you! Where did you learn Spanish, Jasper?"

He stared back at me as if there was an obvious answer and I was just being dense. "I used to control a vampire army in Mexico. How is that possible without knowing the language? I could teach you, if you'd like."

Alice joined the three of us on the porch at that moment looking more frustrated than I was pretending to be. "Hey Alice, did you know Jasper could speak Spanish?" Emmett smiled and nudged her shoulder.

"Really? We can just add that to the list of things he's keeping from me." She snapped in Jasper's direction with her arms folded. "And I don't appreciate you walking off on me like that in the middle of a discussion, Jasper."

"Stop being childish. That's wasn't a discussion. It was an interrogation. When you can ask me things like a grownup, I'll answer you accordingly. It's very difficult to be around you when you behave this way, Alice. Emmett? I'd like to go for a hike. Care to join me?" I was a bit shocked at Jasper's attitude toward Alice, but he was only giving her back what she was putting out toward him.

The boys ran off down the road together, leaving Alice and I alone on the porch. She stuck her tongue out at him with a sour face as they disappeared into the trees. 'Sorry about that. I'll leave you to your book, Rosalie." She mumbled and turned to leave, but I grabbed her hand to keep her from going.

"What was all that about? An interrogation?" I asked. I knew it wasn't my business what other couples fought about, but I was curious. "Talk to me?"

Alice curled up on the swing beside me and sighed heavily. "There's so much he and I don't know about each other. I honestly don't know much about myself, but trying to get him to open up and tell me things about his past is impossible."

"What kind of things do you want to know about him?"

"I don't know. I'd like to know about his parents, siblings and stuff, I guess. I asked him about his past relationships and he went off at me. I went right back at him and demanded to know. That's when he walked off and I found him here. I'm not being childish. I have a right to know, don't I?" Alice looked so sad just then. She really did look like a child.

"You do. He wants to marry you, but he can't expect you to do that without knowing who's been with." I answered. "Emmett and I just casually told each other through conversation. There was no arguing about it. Seeing as Jasper is nearly a hundred years old, he's got a very long personal history and he should be able to share that with you openly. If he can't…" I shrugged and rubbed her shoulder for support. "Do you think you're the jealous type of girl, Alice? Like if another woman was to take a liking to him, would you be angry?"

"I don't know. It's never happened. Not while I've been around. Hey, here comes Edward." She smiled and waved across the road to him.

Jasper and I had been running through the forest for over an hour trying to relieve some stress and aggression. We ended up on the edge of town and slowed down to a human pace when we reached the sidewalk. "So what happened with Alice back there? You don't have to answer if you don't want. I'll understand. I was just wondering."

He looked troubled when I brought it up, but he gave as best an answer as he could, I suppose. "I like my privacy. I need Alice around more than I want her around, sometimes. I'll tell her when I'm good and ready."

"Alright. If that's how you feel. I'm just curious, stop me if I'm crossing the line. You and her have a really intense kind of bond. Have you ever had that with any other girls before her?" I asked casually.

"No."

"No? Oh, ok. Well that's good then. I-"

"Maria." Jasper had stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk and looked around with a fire in his eyes I hadn't seen before. It was worrying me. Maybe it was a bad idea for me to bring him so close to town?

"You just said no, there were no other girls. Who's Maria?" I asked. I was trying to steer him toward an alley, away from the humans, but he was frozen in place. I couldn't see anyone out in the open he might be focusing on, but there was definitely a vampire nearby. I could smell at least two of them from where we were standing.

"Not who? Where? Maria is here. I know her scent." He growled. "¿Me oye usted? Usted necesita para salir en este momento. Usted no tiene lugar aquí. Tome a su amigo y la hoja."

"Ok, we're going home now. I'll drag you if I have to." Just then, he grabbed me by the arm and flew down a back alley toward the forest. "Jasper! Home is east, this is southwe-" He cut me off by slamming me up against a tree.

"I know where home is. They don't. I hope. Just follow me. Do not speak of this to Alice." He gave me a look so fierce it nearly made me shake in my boots.

"They? I-"

"Do NOT speak of this! To anyone! Understand?"

"Got it. I won't mention it." He turned and took off into the woods, so I followed as I said I would. He headed southwest to mislead this Maria, but I couldn't help but wonder who he meant by 'they.' He clearly wasn't in the mood to answer any of my questions, so I let him run in a large circle back to the east until we were on the front porch. Alice, Rosalie and Edward were standing together having a talk. "Hey, we're back. What's going on?"

"Jasper!" Alice pushed past me as if I were made of air and straight up to Jasper. She stood on her tip-toes to seem as imposing as possible and glared at him dead in the eyes. She growled. "Who's Maria?"

((Of course I gotta have a cliffhanger after making all of yous wait all this time lol... lemme know what yus think???))


End file.
